Ancient Rites
by Aloria
Summary: Four years after the events of Divergent Thories, Kopii Rasmus  is the dean of C&CRU, still hasn't wooed Sylphiel, and Rezo is back. If that weren't stress enough, Sairaag is now under attack by a foreign prince and an ancient Vampire!
1. Chapter 1

Haven't written fanfics in a very long time because I've been concentrating on writing my original books (and indie publishing them). But I was feeling nostalgic and tired of editing. So I started writing this as a way to clear my brain.

Typical disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers, or anything related to it except some random merchandise I bought. I'm not getting any money off writing this fanfic. In fact, I'm wasting time writing it as I could be spending this time on doing things that DO get me money. ...As I said above tho... Additionally, being self published, I have nothing worth taking. So this is entirely for shits and giggles.

This story will probably end up M rated because I'm just in that kind of writing mood.

It will contain romance and is a redemption fic.

It is a sequel to Divergent Theories and it is highly suggested you go read that one before continuing with this fic.

(I love DT! I was so high when I wrote it. lol Cough syrup rules.)

...

As a side-note: I seriously DISAPPROVE of Revolution and Evolution-R. These atrocities don't exist to me.

Zelgadis ran away crying because someone called him a monster.

I rest my case.

...

Shameless plug: Like my writing? Check out my website www (dot) NatanFleetShow (dot) com! Book 2 of my space opera series is for sale!

...

...

Rasmus closed the file on his desk. It was far too thick for his liking, and despite the fact that the young man's parents had donated generously, Dean Rasmus could no longer put up with Marron, second prince of Wytheria's behavior.

There was a soft tap on his open office door, and Marron crept in.

_'Crazy how such a mousy looking boy could cause so much trouble.'_

"Sit," Rasmus said.

Marron smiled and sat in the chair across the desk from Rasmus, perching on the edge like an eager child expecting to get candy. For a moment, Rasmus pondered how to proceed. He rarely had to expel students, but this one would be far more difficult, due to his position. "So am I graduating early?" Prince Marron asked. He was wearing a crown, despite school rules stating that such adornments were to be left at home.

"No. Marron-"

"Prince!"

"Not here you aren't. Which has, I suspect, been the problem. You are not a prince while you are a student at this school. You are Student Marron, here for an education. Obviously this was not impressed upon you by your parents when they sent you here. Since you have come here, I have received twenty-seven complaints that you have molested women and girls in town. Sixteen counts of drunken brawling. Eight counts of theft. You have failed every class you have enrolled in due to absences and refusing to take tests or do assignments. And to make this clear, you enrolled in twenty-nine classes in the last three years."

Marron opened his mouth.

Rasmus slammed his palm down on the desk. "This is a school. An institution of learning. Not your personal party pad. I have given you ample opportunity to mend your ways. I should have expelled you at the first complaint of molestation! But this latest incident, I cannot overlook."

"You're kicking me out? You can't do that!"

"You broke one of the magical artifacts being studied here and set fire to the records!"

"I was framed!" Marron's face had turned red.

"No wonder you always lose at gambling. You have a terrible poker face."

Marron's face turned even darker red. "How dare you! My parents will hear of this!"

"I have already sent a copy of your file to them. They have been receiving reports on your progress every quarter since your arrival," Rasmus said flatly. "You are to pack your belongings tonight. Arrangements have been made to return you to Wytheria first thing in the morning. If you refuse to pack, you will be on the carriage without your belongings. You are expelled, Marron."

"You'll regret this! I'll make you pay!" Marron shouted as he get to his feet. He shoved his chair over and kicked it before exiting Rasmus's office. Paul gave a startled shout as Marron swept his arms across the aid's desk, sending papers flying.

Finally, the whirlwind had left and Rasmus got up to go assist Paul in cleaning up the mess.

"That went relatively well," Paul said with a sigh as he looked mournfully at the ink that had been spilled across the carpet.

Rasmus formed a time reversal spell between his hands and dropped it on the carpet. The ink sucked out of the floor and back into its pot instantly.

"Hopefully things will be quieter after tomorrow. Though I suspect Marron is going to cause as much trouble as he can in town while he can. But. He's no longer my student. They can arrest him and he can spend the night in jail before getting sent home." Rasmus rubbed his temples, his stomach churning with acidic, burning pain. Looking towards the window as the storm that had been brewing all day finally broke. "It's past five. I think I'm going to go get a nap before something else happens."

Paul sighed, "That lab fiasco had you up all night, didn't it?"

"Yes. I managed to salvage the files, but the relic is beyond repair." Rasmus sighed mournfully as he looked at the ceiling. "We could have learned so much from it. It was beautifully constructed; a masterpiece that had to have taken that mage a lifetime to perfect. Now it's dust." He lifted his hands, feeling again the soft grains that had been the ancient artifact, sliding through his fingers.

"It was a clock, right?"

"Maybe... But now we'll never know." Rasmus sighed. "I got the feeling it was containing something." He shook his head. "No use thinking about it anymore. It's broke and that's all there is to it... I need to figure out how to up security on the research labs without making it dangerous for teachers and their student assistants. Simple locks don't keep the rule-breakers out."

"Go home and get some sleep, Ras." Paul patted his shoulder. "As you said. There's no use thinking about it right now. Done's done."

"Yeah... You get some rest too."

"There's a large number of students graduating this semester - no. Ras. I've got it. Go get some sleep." Paul lifted a hand as Rasmus opened his mouth. "It's fine. I don't have half as much going on as you get involved in. Go sleep."

"All right..." Rasmus shook his head and triggered his teleport. Stepping back into the fog, he stepped out into his small apartment. Before he allowed himself to fall over on his couch he changed out of his robes into something more comfortable, then got the fire going again.

...

...

Rasmus sprawled on the couch in his apartment, one leg stretched out across it, the other resting on the low coffee table in front of the couch. He closed his eyes, listening to the rumbling of the fall storm that raged outside, dumping a heavy curtain of rain across Sairaag. Taking a breath, he sighed softly. Classes were over for the day, but that didn't usually mean that Rasmus was free of all duties as the Dean of the university. No, it usually meant he had to work twice as hard fixing issues the children got into after school. He lived well enough, he figured; he had an apartment of his own, which was becoming a pigsty exactly like David's apartment, though he made at least a little effort to pick up after himself. But it was damn hard, considering all the work he had to do. It was amazing he ever got the time to wash his clothes, he always ate out, and perhaps got about four hours of sleep a night. Rasmus made a point of being in his office at six in the morning, worked all day pushing papers or working with the various teachers when they came across a question of magic they didn't know the answer to. After the actual workday was done, he wasn't finished.

In the evenings, Rasmus wandered the town, visiting the clinic where Sylphiel had started training young women to be shrine maidens of the miraculously re-grown Flagoon which stood to the north of the present location of the city. He never saw her officially, though, he just worked with the doctors, using what knowledge he'd absorbed from David's world about medical practices to help them in their work of saving lives. Any time he actually did see her was when he was- he had to admit it, at least to himself- stalking her, crossing her path deliberately in her absolutely predictable everyday schedule.

Opening his eyes at a particularly loud crash of thunder, Rasmus sighed, trying to put down that ache in his heart. He still had the scars of David's crash on his chest, but that old wound had healed over fully. It was his thinking about Sylphiel that made him hurt. Though she'd offered her hand to him that day... nearly four years ago now, she hadn't wanted anything more to do with him than she had to. Rasmus had to respect that wish, no matter what he wanted, because he loved her still, and would die right on the spot if she told him to just keel over. He doubted she would, though, she was too nice to do something like that, too nice to tell him where to shove his feelings for her.

Lifting a hand, he pushed his hair back from his face. It had grown out considerably in the last few years, down to his mid-back where he usually kept it braided, his bangs falling loose across his forehead. The storm had abated somewhat, the rain lightening. It seemed that the only time he ever got any rest these days was when the weather was too nasty for anyone to be outside, but that just meant that the students were stuck indoors, trying to find some way to alleviate their boredom. The dorm managers could deal with that though, unless it was particularly serious, in which case, they could call him, using his modification of David's world's Telephone.

Thunder crashed outside and a new spat of rain poured from the sky. Rasmus let his head fall back on the arm of the couch once more. He should have been cleaning his apartment, but he just didn't feel like it.

The phone rang.

Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Ras reached back over the arm of the couch to the side table and picked up the cordless receiver- the phone was magically powered, using scrying crystals, and so no chords were needed. "Yes?" he answered shortly.

"Ah, Dean Rasmus," sputtered one of the researchers of the chimera laboratory. Dr. Mendel, who was a brilliant man, but more than a little unpracticed in the art of conversation, "Um- ah, we've had a problem-"

Rasmus didn't bother waiting for him to stutter his way through a long winded explanation and simply stood, shaking wrinkles from his robes and pulled his shoes back on. This was exactly the reason why he couldn't do like David had always done upon getting home- which was strip to the boxers and sprawl on his couch. Hanging up the phone, Rasmus closed his eyes and tore reality, stepped through, and into the lab. Teleportation spells were handy like that. He didn't have to get wet if he didn't want to.

Dr. Mendel was still holding the receiver of the phone in his office, shouting at it. "Dean Rasmus!"

"I'm right here," Rasmus stated.

The short man jumped and spun around to face the copy of Rezo, blinking in shock behind his thick glasses. "I uh- oh!" he put down the pone. "Thank you for coming so immediately sir, I could have explained on the phone though, it's not that big of a problem. I mean, not really."

Rasmus turned away and started off to find someone who could get to the point, Mendel scampering along behind, still stuttering, "I mean, it's not like we couldn't just put it down, but really, after all the work we put into it, I mean, it would be nice to be able to control it rather than having to waste all our efforts."

Grinding his teeth, Rasmus somehow kept hold of his temper, expression falling into one of stoicism that he'd trained himself to have when on the verge of shouting in foaming fury. Which was probably why everyone thought that he didn't have a temper at all. It'd been a trick Rezo had used too, and admittedly, it did come in useful. People felt they could come to him with problems and he wouldn't get mad- a good thing for someone in a position of such power. Certainly they liked him better than they'd ever liked Dean Magus, but liking him wasn't really something that was part of the job description. So long as he didn't run the school into a hole financially and didn't summon demonbeasts in the basement laboratory connected to his office by a long set of stairs, then he was a good Dean.

Coming to a stop, Rasmus turned to face Mendel, "Where is it?" he asked, voice even and low.

"Oh, uh, the chimera? Well it's in the fourth holding cage..." the much shorter man didn't get the chance to continue, as Rasmus turned again and continued heading the direction he'd been going, intuition serving him well, once more. "It's quite savage, Dean Rasmus," Mendel sputtered and jogged to catch up with Rasmus's longer strides. "Quite! It mauled Dr. Courtney! He's in the clinic now, and what a mess he made, all over the floor and they're still not finished cleaning the hall. We can't get into the cage to clean, because it's broken its chain and pacing around savagely!"

Rounding a corner, Rasmus found several of the lab assistants mopping the floor, and a trail of blood leading in a long swath away from cage four and down the hall to the in-lab clinic. "Where was he injured?" Rasmus interrupted the flow of words to ask.

Blinking in confusion, it took Mendel a moment to backtrack, "Oh! Courtney, on the leg, sir, not a very deep wound but quite messy, I don't think they'll have to take the leg off unless it gets infected and oh what a mess- oh Cephied! Sir, you don't intend to go IN there?"

Rasmus had reached the cage the Chimera was in. It was now crouched in a corner near the back, whites showing around its dark eyes. It was a mix between a dog and a bear, the size of something in between the two and possessing of sharp claws and teeth. Opening the cage door, Rasmus boldly stepped in, the hem of his robes barely sweeping across the freshly mopped floor, and picking up a bit of blood from the other side. The animal whimpered and laid its black furry ears back, staring at him, nostrils flaring as it sniffed.

Reaching into his robe sleeve, Rasmus pulled out one of the sweets he kept for the children and unwrapped it. "Hey there," he said soothingly as silence fell behind him, the assistants and Mendel crowding around the barred door of the cage to watch in fascination as their Dean slowly moved closer, holding out the candy. The Chimera snuffled again and stretched its neck towards him, "Hey," Rasmus murmured, putting his audience out of mind in favor of taming the beast, "You just got frightened, didn't you. That big bad man with needles was going to poke you again, isn't that right." The Chimera's nose touched Rasmus's fingers and it shifted, slurping the candy from the Dean's hand and chewing it thoughtfully. Reaching into his sleeve again, Rasmus unwrapped a second candy and offered it, inching closer to the creature and finally laying a hand on its head. "There, there, it's alright now. You don't have to be frightened of me," he murmured and scratched under its jaw.

The beast leaned into his hand, slurping up the second candy greedily. Behind him, Rasmus could hear the lab workers murmuring in awe. Partially turning his head, Rasmus addressed them, without raising his voice. "Get back to work." They scurried away, out of sight, except for Mendel, who adjusted his glasses, simply standing there with wide eyes and mouth open.

Not another thought was spared the onlooker as Rasmus crouched so as to not be standing above the creature's head, continuing his work on soothing it, softly just talking to it. "You're a good boy, good boy. Yeah, you like that, don't you? Want another candy. Here you go. That's a good boy." Lifting its nose, the Chimera slurped Ras's face, leaning in and knocking the man over, crawling into his lap as the Dean put both his hands to work scratching his fingers through the creature's thick black fur. "You're just a big lapdog, aren't you?" he accused lightly, and the creature looked up at him with intelligent eyes set in a rounded face with a long muzzle. "Well, that's fine," he told it. "You're a good boy, and you'll behave now, won't you? Yeah- okay, yes, you love me, now- ugh." The Chimera had begun licking his face again, slobbering all over Rasmus's hair.

Slowly, Rasmus inched the Chimera off his lap and stood, scrubbing its head as it leaned against him happily, head at Rasmus's chest height. It's long bushy tail wagged, beating the wall with loud thumps. Turning, Ras walked over to the door of the cage, which Mendel opened for him, and managed to get the Chimera to stay and gave it another candy to occupy it while they got the door locked again. Turning to face Mendel- aware that his bangs were spiked up on one side and dripping slobber, he stated, "From now on, give it a sweet before shots, also, take it outside and play with it like a dog. I'm going to check on Courtney and after that, I'm going home."

Turning away, Rasmus followed the blood trail to the clinic, lifting a hand to attempt to get some of the slobber off his face with his sleeve. Courtney was propped up on a bed, not all that far from the door, devoid of his pants, but at least he wore briefs underneath. His thigh was bandaged lightly, and when Rasmus entered, the woman who was head of the clinic came over. "When I heard you'd come, I bandaged it lightly," she explained and peeled off the wrap.

"That bloody beast!" Courtney snarled, "I want it put down, Dean! I want it dead NOW!"

Running his fingers through his bangs, Rasmus finally got them to drop down to a more normal position, though they were still stringy and slimy. "That's hardly necessary," he stated, eyeing the scratch wound, which was stitched closed and had a coat of clear sealant on it. "Very good, doctor," he told the woman, "Go ahead and bandage it fully. It'll heal on its own in a week." She nodded and got to work. Rasmus turned his full attention to Courtney, reigning in his temper once more, "The incident is neither your fault, or the beast's, Dr. Courtney," he stated, "It was a reaction of instinct. You're a very large man, and every time you show up, the Chimera got a shot. It's natural that after a few pairings like that, it will think that you were the one that brought pain. I suggest that you visit the Chimeras you have to restrain to give shots to when they don't need treatments and give them a treat, and give them one after they get their shot as well. That should prevent something like this happening again unless the beast is truly savage instead of simply frightened."

Pressing his lips together, Courtney lost some of his bluster in the face of Rasmus's cool and sensible directions. Looking away, he muttered a 'yes sir', and Rasmus nodded. "Follow Dr. Neal's directions, and you'll be fine. Dr. Neal," he gave a polite nod to her and turned, heading from the room. Against what he'd told Mendel, Rasmus made a tour of the other cages, making sure the other Chimeras and animals were healthy and content, despite their being caged, gave another pat and scratch to the bear-dog, and finally decided that he'd had enough and teleported back to his apartment, only then realizing that the entire backside of his white robes were bloody, his front side was slobbered on and covered in black hair, and his hair felt terrible.

Scowling, he yanked his clothes off and time-reversed them to remove the stains, then headed for the bathroom to take a shower. Indoor plumbing had been one of the first things he'd figured out how to make on this world, having enjoyed hot showers far too much to just give up. They took a lot less time and used a lot less water than a bath usually did. And they were hot.

Climbing in, he unbraided his hair as stood in the first cold blast of water before it heated up. Heaving a sigh, Rasmus dearly hoped there were no other emergencies today. "Can't I just have a bit of time to myself?" he mournfully begged the shower wall he was facing, wishing David were there to talk to.

He missed David.

He could hear the phone ringing.

Setting his teeth, Rasmus ignored it and finished his shower. Surely they could wait ten minutes? When he got out, the phone was still ringing. Picking up the receiver, he said, "Yes?"

"This is Officer Yemez at the city jail. I have a Marron Wytheria here..."

"Keep him. He's not mine anymore."

Rasmus could hear the sadistic grin in the man's chuckle. "Expelled him finally?"

"Hm," Rasmus gave a noncommittal grunt. "He's got arrangements to be sent home in the morning. He's yours until then."

"Thank you sir!"

Rasmus hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Dressed once again, Rasmus sat with his eyes half-closed as he picked at the acoustic guitar he'd bought two years ago but hardly got the time to play. The songs he played were a mix of Zelgadis's songs from David's world and classical songs from his world. Currently, he was working through a slow ballad that had words, but Rasmus didn't feel like singing them. His hair was clean once again, he was wearing clean clothes, a pair of pants and loose shirt with no socks or shoes as he lounged on the couch.

The phone rang.

"IEEEE! I'm going to fucking rip their throats out if they've fucked something else up!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Rasmus had a feeling that his downstairs neighbors hated him. He caught his breath and picked up the phone on the second ring, "Yes?" he asked calmly.

The voice on the other end of the phone startled him, "Hey, there Rasmus!"

He blinked a few times. "Lina? How did you get a phone?"

She laughed. "The director of artifact studies was kind enough to lend it to me." He doubted that. "I must say, this thing's pretty handy! Ever thought of selling service to other people?"

Rasmus flopped back on the couch and sighed. "Yes, but not before I've got the numerical code system fixed. What we have works for the small number of people. What do you want that you felt you had to harass poor Dr. Gasp?"

Laughing lightly, Lina replied, "They wouldn't tell me where you lived now, so I couldn't drop by. Finally moved out of the dorm, eh? Well, glad to hear it. Anyway. Wanna take me out to lunch?"

"It's evening," Rasmus pointed out.

"So? I've got room for seconds! Whatcha say?"

Scowling, Rasmus stared up at the ceiling and sighed. "Fine, if that'll make you stop harassing my teachers." He got to his feet and hung up, laid the guitar on the couch and went to change into one of his other robes. He removed his shirt for this, but left the pants, as it was a bit chilly outside, pulled on some socks and his boots beneath the long white creation of fabric that was nearly a dress. Belting it around his waist with a double wrap of small chain links, Rasmus pulled his clothes straight and stepped through his teleport spell and into Gasp's office, belatedly realizing that his hair was still wet and unbraided. Oh well. Lina was attempting to redial his number still, an arm around Gasp's balding head. Gourry stood nearby, looking confused as ever and Rasmus sighed, folding his arms in his sleeves. "Miss. Lina," he stated to draw her attention.

Blinking, she turned to look at him. "Woah! When did you get here?" Gourry asked in shock, beating Lina to the same comment. The redhead let Gasp go and the man rescued the phone from her.

Placing her hands on her hips, Lina jerked her chin up, "Well, you sure look different from the last time I saw you."

Taking a breath, Rasmus ignored the tone of her voice and replied, "My position in this university requires a certain amount of dressing for the part. Otherwise, people would not send their children to study here. Nor would they send their money." Turning away abruptly, Rasmus breezed from Gasp's office and into the hall, where he stopped, looking back towards Lina and her bodyguard. "I thought you were hungry," he pointed out blandly as Lina gaped at him.

Finally shaking herself awake, Lina jogged to catch up with him, Gourry having an easier time of matching Rasmus's pace. "So, hey, how're you and Sylphiel getting along?" Lina asked.

He sighed, "Somehow, I knew that would be one of the reasons for your visit." Rasmus refrained from looking down at her, knowing that she was giving him a dark look. "To answer your question. I haven't spoken to her in three years. Though I do believe she has been training shrine maidens at the Holy Flagoon Hospital on the east side of town. You would be more likely to find her there, or at Flagoon, or home."

"Gee," Gourry commented, "I thought you two had the hots for each other? Did you have a fight?"

Lina scowled even more darkly, but couldn't catch up to him to give him a smack. Instead, she folded her arms, "And after the trouble Amelia and I went through to approve you!"

Finally, they reached the front hall of the university, and Rasmus opened the front door, and pulled an umbrella from his sleeve, popping it open as he stepped out into the light drizzle the rain had turned into. Lina frowned and followed, simply pulling her cloak up to protect her hair. Gourry didn't even seem to notice the rain. "I never asked you to," Rasmus stated, "and it was a bit presumptive of you to assume that it was a given that simply because she loves David that the one from this world would love me. David didn't destroy half of Sairaag."

Growling, Lina jogged to catch up with him as he passed through the front gate of the university and entered the city. "Hey!" she shouted, "You're still harping on yourself about that?"

He looked down at her with a blank look, "I'm not the only one. Sylphiel hasn't forgiven me either, and I doubt she will, as I'll never forgive Xelloss for sending me back here." Running through his mental list of restaurants in the area, Rasmus chose one that specialized in pasta, having a taste for that in his mouth.

Gourry shook his head, "I don't understand... Sylphiel said she wouldn't talk to you till you lost your uh... what was it... attitude!"

Rasmus didn't even twitch. "So. Is that her excuse." Turning, he stepped up to a door, having reached his destination, and flipped his umbrella closed and shook water from it before entering. Lina and Gourry following close behind.

"Ah! Dean Rasmus," the host brimmed with enthusiasm, rubbing his hands together. "This way, sir!"

Pointing back, Rasmus stated, "They're with me."

The man smiled at Lina and Gourry as well, taking his cue. "This way!" turning, he breezed across the room to an alcove table where he placed three menus from the pocket of his apron, followed by three rolls of silverware. "So glad to see you made it through the rain, sir," the man continued, speaking to Rasmus. "It's a pleasure to serve you again."

Giving a polite nod, Rasmus set his umbrella against the wall and took a seat. Gourry and Lina took seats across from him. "Thank you," Rasmus murmured politely, "I'll have a bottle of your house red wine," he ordered and the man flipped out his pad to write it down swiftly.

"Hm," Lina murmured, looking over the menu, "Hey, Ras, were you planning on sharing that?"

Giving her a bland look, Rasmus blinked once, "That was the intention."

Lina nodded, "Alright, guess we're having that."

Bowing, the host accepted that answer, "I'll be right back with your drinks, sirs, madam." With that, he disappeared.

Gourry stared after the man, "Wow. You sure get fast service!"

"They like my money," Rasmus stated. "Their theory is that if I'm pleased with their service, my students will dine here as well." Abruptly, their waiter returned, setting the bottle of chilled wine in a bucket of ice on the table, then took it in a towel to open and poured a glass into the three wineglasses he brought. Sliding the menu towards the waiter, Rasmus stated, "I'll have my usual."

Quickly turning her attention to the menu, Lina pointed at the top of the list, "I'll have this, through this," she pointed, "Triple portions!"

"Same here," Gourry took Lina's menu and handed them both over to the waiter who stared at them, then looked towards Rasmus, who gave a slight nod and sipped his wine, then turned his bi-colored eyes to stare out the window at the rain.

Bowing, the man bowed and retreated with the menus. Lina folded her arms, "You know, maybe its not just your money they like?" she offered.

This caught Rasmus's attention and he turned his eyes towards her once more, quirking a brow. "We've actually been here all day, trying to catch you, but you're one slippery guy. But then, we got a lot of information about you with how much we had to ask around," Lina continued. Rasmus looked stoic as ever, and sipped his wine. "All the girls in the university have a crush on you," Lina pointed out, lifting a finger to number, "As do a lot of the ladies around town. You've really gotten a lot of people's respect with how you've been handling disputes between students and people in town. I also heard that you've attracted the attention of nobles in other countries as well, and they've started sending their children here for educations in the non-magic related subjects you've started classes on."

He set his glass down, "The children who have crushes on me are merely deluding themselves," he informed her, "They merely see my connections, income, and prestige as the Dean and assume that since I am apparently unattached, that I am available. The way they fling themselves at my feet is disturbing, and for the most part, I ignore them as I do not want the political ramifications of getting involved with a student. Some of them have powerful parents I would prefer not to annoy. As for dealing with problems in town, I only interfere when one of my students is involved, as it does fall under my jurisdiction, but only then." Rasmus lifted his glass again and sipped his wine.

Lina sighed, "You're missing my point. It's because of that approach that everyone respects you! I've been all over the place in the last few years, and I've not heard one inkling of anything bad going on here. All I've ever heard was 'the C&CRU is the best school ever' and I've heard kings talk of sending their offspring here!"

Flicking his gaze aside, Rasmus admitted, "We do have young Zoemel of Zoma attending. He's an intelligent young man, enough that he is bored by normal classes."

Pointing at him, Lina slapped the table, rattling the wine bottle in its bucket. "See!"

"See what?" Rasmus asked her, his calm veneer cracking as he got a hard tone in his voice. "There is nothing to 'see', Miss. Lina. I merely endeavor to conduct myself appropriately when in public as anything I do will reflect upon my school. Was there a point to this conversation, or what?"

Laughing softly, Lina smirked at him. "My point was, Rasmus, you're a better person than you give yourself credit for. You're certainly not acting like Rezo, so all of this," she waved vaguely, "is your doing on your own."

He sighed at her and emptied his wineglass. "I suppose that was a compliment," Rasmus stated blandly, "In that case, thank you, but I still don't see the reason why you've made such an effort to point it out."

She sighed and rested her forehead on the table as Gourry spoke up finally, "I think, what Lina's trying to say is that... uh you should talk to Sylphiel, because... um..." he looked off towards the ceiling, unable to come up with the right words to say what he thought, but finally finished, "Because you're a good person."

Lina sat up again, "Exactly," she agreed. "You're avoiding her-"

Rasmus slapped his glass down onto the table hard enough to shatter it. "Lina Inverse, I suggest you relinquish your interests in my personal life," he hissed, aware that people had fallen silent and were looking his direction. Sitting back, he time-reversed the glass and closed his eyes, taking a few breaths to put his mask back on. "I have not been avoiding her," he added, "If she wished to speak to me, then she would, as there are more than enough times in the day that we have crossed paths."

Talk started up in the restaurant softly, curious glances cast his direction, Rasmus would have just left if he hadn't already ordered, and if it wouldn't have caused more talk than his losing his temper already had. Thankfully their food began arriving and Rasmus blinked into awareness of the waiter and his troop of helpers as his silverware was unrolled from its napkin and the cloth placed into his lap. His dinner was set in front of him, meatballs with marinara sauce and wheat noodles. His silverware was set out and wineglass refilled. Lina didn't even wait, otherwise, she would have gotten the same treatment, and the table filled with dishes.

Stoically, Rasmus picked at his dinner, somewhat put off his appetite by Lina and Gourry's table manners as well as the fact that their previous topic of conversation had sent his stomach rolling sourly. He'd need more of that chalky stomach potion soon, or he was going to reopen his ulcer. His eyes slid over the other diners, finding that they were staring in shock and awe at Rasmus and his dining companions. Sighing, he eyed Lina, set his fork down and pushed his plate over towards her. "You're not gonna eat that? Okay!" she swiped the plate and downed it in nearly one gulp. Rasmus found something else to look at.

Belching, Lina announced her completion of the meal and moved a stack of plates so she could see Rasmus. "Now! Back to our conversation," she stated as Rasmus dropped his napkin to the table.

Placing his hands flat on the table Rasmus pushed himself to his feet, "No, Lina. That topic is closed," he said firmly, "and if you intend to continue to prod me about it, I'll make sure that you are never welcome in my school, or anywhere near it, ever again." Straightening after he'd been looming over Lina, Rasmus dusted his hands and picked up his umbrella.

Surging to her feet, Lina slammed her fist on the table, "Now wait just a minute! You can't treat me like that!"

Turning away, Rasmus reached into his sleeve for his cash, mentally tallying up the total of dinner.

Slapping the table again, Lina launched over Gourry, "Is this how you treat all your friends? No wonder Sylphiel's mad at you!"

Stopping in his tracks, Rasmus took a breath and turned to face Lina. "I'm buying you dinner," he pointed out, "And even if she is angry with me, it is not your business, or anyone else's for that matter," he shot a glare around the restaurant at the gawkers who hid behind their dinners and menus quickly. "My personal life is of no one's concern but my own." Again, he turned away and simply slapped the small bag of coins onto the front desk without bothering to count it, he knew there was enough in there for them to keep their mouths shut- he just wished he could pay off the other people in the restaurant as easily. He triggered his teleport spell as he got to the door and stepped through, into his apartment.

Fuming, Rasmus struggled with his belt and threw it across the room, where it dented the wall from the force and made a satisfyingly loud crash. His umbrella followed, and just missed the window. Struggling with his robes, he pulled them off once more and put his lounging shirt back on, kicked off his shoes, and fell onto the couch to pick up and cradle his guitar. Why was it that Lina could crawl under his skin like that? Maybe it was because she knew exactly what buttons to push to really piss him off.

The phone rang.

"My GOD! Can't you people ever leave me the hell alone!" he nearly hurled his guitar across the room, but reigned in his temper and let the phone ring twice more while he hung his guitar on the wall, then picked up the receiver. "Yes?" He would have been proud of himself on any other day for the mild tone of his voice.

"Sir, there's been a magical incident-" Rasmus clutched the edge of the couch. _Not Lina, oh god, please don't tell me Lina Dragon Slaved the restaurant!_ "-at a tavern in the west side of town. Two students got drunk and began dueling. Everyone injured is being taken to the Holy Flagoon Hospital."

Grinding his teeth Rasmus silently punched the arm of the couch a few times. If he could have, he would have been blowing fire out his nose and ears. "I'll be there," is all he said and hung up, went and got his belt and robes and put them back on over his lounging shirt, it was starting to get rather chilly out there, so the extra layering helped. Pain jabbed his stomach, and he detoured to grab his bottle of stomach potion and swallowed a few mouthfuls then plugged the bottle and started to set it down again. "Damn it, if this day keeps going like it has, I'm gonna need more." He stuffed the bottle into his physical sleeve pocket and got his shoes on, then stepped through his teleport to the hospital.

"Dean Rasmus!" the man who ran the front desk of the hospital shouted as Ras stalked towards him. This had been the man who'd called. "This way," the man said as Rasmus caught up to him. Kyle Smith was the young man's name. He was a good kid, but annoying sometimes and Rasmus knew Kyle had that crush on Sylphiel. His stomach gave a lurch, and the mage clenched his teeth on it, glancing around quickly before he pulled out his bottle and took another swig from it, hastily plugging it and palming it as Kyle looked back. Rasmus gave a curdled smile and swallowed and touched the edge of his sleeve to his mouth to make sure he wasn't caught. His problems were his personal business, no one else's.

They entered the emergency room, where healers were working on the group of fifteen who'd been injured in the drunken duel. Rasmus's eyes scanned the people in the room, unerringly spotting Sylphiel, working with one of the two most critically wounded. Unfortunately, those two were his students. Instead of immediately going to them, he moved through the rest of the crowd, finding minor burns and concussions, a broken bone here and there, nothing too serious in his opinion. He'd bounced back from worse. Finally, he could find no other reason to stall, and took another swig of his potion, stalked over to his students, firmly ignoring the scent that was _Sylphiel_ amidst everything else in the room. He could pick her smell out anywhere, even for minutes after she'd left the room.

Coming to stand over the two where they sat on a bench against the wall, one nursing an arm in a makeshift sling, the other with his shirt removed and some bad burns on his chest. They were both conscious, so Rasmus supposed that was a good sign. He folded his arms in his sleeves. Slowly, the two looked up, their eyes widened. "Dean Rasmus," one started, beginning some excuse or apology or another.

"No," Rasmus snapped, interrupting, "I'll have no excuses. You both know the rules, and you know better. You've been at this school for how many years? Five? Almost six?" he eyed the two, recognizing the two from their entrance files. It wasn't that he had an excellent memory, but that he had ways of recalling things quickly when he needed them. "Almost graduated, and you pull a stunt like this." They hung their heads and remained silent as he continued. "Honestly, boys, I'm inclined to throw you out." Removing a hand, he gestured at the rest of the room, "Considering the amount of casualties you took with you in your drunken duel. Look at them!" he snapped, a hint of his temper creeping out into his voice. This caught their attention and they peeked up at his face and shied away, then looked in the direction he was pointing. "Once you're bandaged up, you will assist Lady Sylphiel in whatever capacity she assigns you to after classes for the rest of the semester." Looking down at her, he felt as if cold water had been splashed across his temper. "If that is alright with you, Lady Sylphiel."

Slowly, she stood and brushed her hands on the tail of her shirt, smearing some burn cream on her clothes. "It's fine," she said shortly. "I won't go easy on them."

Bowing gravely, Rasmus replied, "I'd hoped you wouldn't. You may detain them till whatever hour pleases you. Getting to classes on time is their problem. Good evening." With that, Rasmus turned, unable to bear the weight of her cold gaze any longer, and left the room. Pulling his bottle out, he drained it, gagging on the taste and dabbed his mouth with his sleeve as he walked past Kyle once more and out the door, deciding to just not go home for a while, since doing so meant he would have to answer his phone.

Muttering to himself as he stalked through the rain down the road, Rasmus decided, "I'm not making cell phones, cause they'll think it imperative that I have one," he hissed under his breath. "And then, I'd never get any rest."

"Rasmus!"

A chill ran down his back as he stopped, turning partially to look back at Sylphiel as she walked through the rain to catch up with him. Her eyes were blazing. His stomach rolled. "Yes, Lady Sylphiel?" he asked politely, keeping his face neutral.

Reaching out, she grabbed his arm, reached into his sleeve and found his bottle. "What is this?" she asked him sharply and unplugged it, taking a sniff.

"Something for my stomach and nothing more," Rasmus replied evenly, though the back of his mind wondered at her confronting him about it.

Sticking a finger in, Sylphiel took a taste, "Kyle saw you chugging this like water," she told him.

Plucking the bottle from her hand, Rasmus replied blandly, "And you thought it was alcohol. My position is stressful, but not that stressful. Thank you for your concern, but I would not be so stupid as to become an alcoholic."

Her eyes blazed again, Rasmus could have kicked himself. "There you go again," she hissed, "playing high and mighty, as if you were better than everyone else!"

There was no temper for Rasmus to hold, he simply couldn't get angry at Sylphiel, no matter how many hateful things she said to him, and he simply gazed at her, "Hardly," he told her, "Personally, I think I'm the scum of the universe. Just ask those two boys I just dressed down whether I'm Mr. Perfect, they'd probably gladly tell you I'm an asshole. But the truth of it is, I am- I have to be- because I'm _responsible_ for those fools in there, and the rest of those young hotheads in my school. I have no choice."

Sylphiel shook her head, "Maybe not with them, but not everyone is your student! You treat everyone like that!"

"What the hell do you want me to do, Sylphiel? If I got any more polite to you I'd choke!" Rasmus demanded and stuffed his bottle back into his sleeve. "I'm tired of this. Really, truly tired of it. I'm not telepathic, I can't tell what you want out of me. Either tell me what you want and I'll do my best, or don't and just put up with what I'm already doing. It's your choice."

Taking a breath, her cheeks growing hot, Sylphiel shouted, "I want you to quit being a bastard to everyone you meet! But that's too hard for you, isn't it?" She spun around and stalked back towards the door of her hospital.

Losing his temper, Rasmus raised his voice far above anything he normally used, "You think this world is so wonderful and great to be in- well I think its hell!" She didn't answer his shout, didn't even look back. '_Now you know how I felt'_ was what she'd told him when she'd offered her hand to him. He'd thought that would make them even. He was sorry for what he did, he would never do it again, nor would he harm another person by magic ever again- her other self had made him promise that, and he'd sworn by Bless Blade.

Turning away in a flurry of wet robes, Rasmus continued stalking down the street. Thankfully there were few people on it at this time of the evening in such inclement weather and so he didn't have to speak to anyone or look at anyone, and just walk off his fury. Once he had, though, Rasmus was left with that gut-eating depression he'd had to find some way to live with, though he wasn't so sure why he bothered anymore. Soggy, he walked up the steps to the building he lived in, nausea overwhelming him, and he staggered against the door, hand to his mouth as he tried to hold it down. It was little use, the potion, what little he'd eaten of dinner, the wine, and mostly blood dripped between his fingers as he leaned against the wall beside the door, eyes squeezed shut.

"Dean Rasmus! Cephied-" Someone had spotted him. Blindly, he flailed other hand at them, getting them to let go, and triggered his teleport spell, falling through it and into his apartment where he dashed for the sink and barely made it in time.

Sobbing for breath between spasms of his stomach, Rasmus cursed himself, cursed Sylphiel, cursed Lina and Gourry and Zelgadis and Amelia, and he cursed Cephied, and most of all, he cursed Xelloss. Slowly, he sank down to the floor, wiping his hands on his soiled robes, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, coming away with blood. "It opened again," he whispered the obvious, tasting that metallic tang that he'd gotten rather familiar with lately mixed with stomach acid.

The phone rang.

Unexpectedly, Rasmus burst into tears and put his face against his sleeve. The phone continued to ring. Slowly, he dragged himself to his feet, feeling weak, but rinsed out his mouth anyway and went to the phone, catching it on the sixth ring. "Yes?" he asked softly.

"Dean Rasmus! A new student has come in, it's Prince Ja'harad from the outlands. You told me to call you when he arrived."

Closing his eyes, Rasmus sank to his knees, "Yes, I did. Thank you. I'll be there in a moment." He hung up and put his face against his arm, then staggered up again, heading to the bathroom to wash his hands and face, then time-reversed his robes to remove the water and spillage he'd accumulated. He rinsed out his mouth a few more times and took a cautious drink of water, only to throw up pink-tinted water. That answered that question. Rinsing out his mouth again, he combed his hair, but it was too dry now to braid, so he left it as it was.

Walking through his teleport, Rasmus stepped into his office, to the surprise of the young man seated in the chair opposite Rasmus's desk. Taking a seat, Ras found the strength to smile, "Forgive me, I've had several emergencies to deal with today and required a moment to refresh myself."

The young man wasn't terrible to look at, but he wouldn't have won in a contest against Gourry for looks or brawn. Ja'harad smiled, eyes bright and eager- yes, he'd have given Gourry a run for his money in the Charming department, Rasmus decided. "It's not a problem, Dean Rasmus, I thank you for coming to greet me personally. It's an honor to be accepted into this school!"

Rasmus nodded slightly, "It is an honor to have you here. There are a few other royalty among the students, but my policy is that you're all here to learn. You're aware of the dress code and student rules?"

"Yes sir! I have studied them. I don't mind wearing a uniform, I think it is a wonderful idea, Dean," Ja'harad replied. Rasmus placed his hand over the file on his desk, reading it with his fingers while he kept eye contact with the young prince. Ja'harad was fifteen, not too old to start classes but he had arrived in the middle of the semester. Rasmus supposed he could extend the placement testing till the winter break and start the boy in with that class. Yes, that seemed best.

Giving a nod, Rasmus managed another smile, "Then welcome, Ja'harad." He lifted his hand from the file, dismayed to find it shaking as he took the young man's hand. The boy didn't have much of a grip, but it was firm and determined. Rezo had always said he could tell a man by his handshake, and Rasmus had fallen back on that in his dealings. He doubted Ja'harad would be a problem unless pushed. Unfortunately, there were a few who were more than willing to do a little pushing. "My aid will show you to your dorm room," Rasmus said, releasing the boy's hand and stood, moving around the desk to walk the boy to the door. "We're in the middle of a semester right now, so it won't be possible for you to begin taking classes just yet- officially. There are some placement tests we would like you to take, to determine what level of courses you should start with, my aid will tell you who you need to talk to about that. Otherwise, you're free to sit in on classes, so long as you don't make a fuss and you'll start classes in the beginning of the spring semester."

Ja'harad nodded, "Yes, that sounds wonderful!" he replied, "I fear I'm not sure what to expect here, so thank you for letting me watch classes before I have to take them. I promise not to be a bother to the teachers."

Glancing up at his aid who sat in the room that lead to the Dean's office, Rasmus made sure his aid had heard what was required of him, and with that, he left the boy in his aid's careful hands, closing the door to his office once again.

"He's rather ill," Rasmus heard Ja'harad's voice on the other side of the door

"What do you mean?" Ras's aid asked curiously.

"He's pale and his hands were shaking," was the answer, "And... I have a knack for sensing when something is wrong with someone."

Rasmus pulled away from the door. He didn't want to hear any more, didn't want to be confronted over it, and so, he turned and stepped into his teleport spell, appearing in his apartment again. The phone was ringing.

"Yes?" he asked, weary to the bone of the whole thing. It was like some terrible cosmic joke. What _else_ could go wrong today, he wondered.

"Dean Rasmus, I'm so glad I got hold of you! A few students went out into the ruins this morning and they're not back yet."

Leaning heavily on the back of the couch, Rasmus tried to stay on his feet, but it was getting harder by the second. "They probably took shelter when it started raining," he said levelly.

"But Dean! There've been rumors of something savage out there!"

Calmly, Rasmus replied, "Rumors only, I assure you. I've been in the ruins, looking for any sign of this beast twice already and have found nothing."

"But Dean-"

"If it pleases you," Rasmus snapped, then moderated his tone, "you may form a search party." His gut rolled, "Alright," he added softly, "I'll go hunt them down. No need for more than one person to get sopping wet out there." He hung up the phone, and couldn't find the strength to get up. Tears streamed down his face as someone knocked on his door, at the same time the phone rang.

"Dean Rasmus!" someone shouted from outside the door. "There's been an attack- something came out of the ruins!"

Somehow, he dragged himself across the floor to the door, and up to his feet by the frame before he opened the door slightly, impeded by the bloody chain on it. Fumbling with the lock, he finally got the damn thing open and stepped out, leaving his phone ringing. They could call back later. "Where?" he asked.

Turning, the man at the door headed for the stairs and ran down them, Rasmus staggered along behind at a much slower pace. The rain had increased again and it was sunset. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. That was all Rasmus could say about the situation, really. At least this and the search for the missing students could be done at the same time. He hoped nothing had happened to them, really he did. The stairs were a blur he didn't remember, and the jolting ride in the carriage the man had brought was something Rasmus wished he could forget, his stomach revolting against him, but he managed to quell the rebellion. At the edge of town, the man stopped the cart and Rasmus gladly got out, somehow managing to keep his dignity. Somehow managing to keep his feet under him as he walked towards the ruins with his eyes half-lidded, a trick he'd figured out with David. This way, he could see beyond the stones, but also avoid tripping on them.

There was indeed something out there, and it was fast. Rasmus barely managed to get his shield up in time as whatever it was charged him. At least, he didn't have to hunt it down. Pulling out his staff, Rasmus turned and moved further into the ruins, getting the thing away from town- and to a place where if he did lose his dignity, no one but he and the monster would see it. The creature chased him, moving from this side to that, herding him, it seemed, and Rasmus let it. If the bloody thing wanted to think it could kill him that easily- Skidding to a slimy halt in the mud, Rasmus realized his mistake too late. There wasn't just one monster, but fifteen of the low-slung hyena-looking creatures with tails like a cat's and the speed of a greyhound.

And they looked hungry. "Dean!" a whimper from above, and Rasmus risked a look up, spotting the students that had apparently gone missing. Well, that answered that. They were perched on a tall stone, and looked like they'd been there for a while, one of them had been bitten on the leg, but the other three had bandaged it. None of them were taking white magic classes, apparently.

Though it relieved him to know where they were, Rasmus was now unable to simply sit back and blast the bloody things. Instead, he swung his staff, connecting with the head of one of the creatures as it attacked. The beast collapsed back and didn't move again, though Rasmus didn't wait to see the damage he'd done, just jumped aside as the pack attacked. "Fireball!" he cast, catching three on fire, and they ran in panicked circles. Leaping up and using a brief levitation, Rasmus came to stand on a tall piece of wall, then flung his next spell down at the snarling pack, "Demona Crystal!" The ice spell struck the ground hard and spread, freezing over the pack and creeping up the wall. The students scrambled back as the ice crept up towards their bit of safety, but breathed a sigh of relief when the spread stopped. None of the animals survived- Rasmus closed his eyes to make sure of this, then glided over to his students, taking the wounded one onto his back, the other three clinging to him and each other, and he glided out of the area of the spell and landed. He didn't have the energy left to cast a teleport, or he would have. Instead, the wounded young man limped along, his friends helping him as Rasmus walked in front, keeping an eye out for anything else that might be in the area.

He was wheezing, he realized and paused for a second, leaning his hand on a block of stone that was slightly higher than was comfortable, but it gave him more to lean against covertly, "Go on ahead," he told the students. They were all sopping wet and muddy. "Town is just beyond that building." He gestured.

Nodding, they hurried ahead.

Turning away, he tried to keep his retching quiet and hoped to god that they wouldn't look back.

His grip on the stone slipped.

Rasmus never recalled hitting the ground.

...

AN: I'd originally intended to only upload once a week. but whatever. :3 You guys get 2 chaps in close proximity. But you'll have to wait until next Sat for ch3. ...I need to write more of the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The smell brought back memories...

Rasmus was shocked to not find white acoustic tile above him when he opened his eyes. The ceiling was still white, but was solid and smooth. His stomach rolled. Sitting up slowly, he looked down at himself, finding that his clothes had been removed. Maybe they'd wash them? Ras could only hope, and meanwhile the sour taste in his mouth warned him that he'd better find a bucket quick.

Looking around the room, he found himself in a small hospital room, much like the one he and David had occupied after the accident. A small door in the corner was probably the bathroom, and Rasmus shoved the blankets off and staggered to his feet, then stumbled across the room to fall to his knees at the toilet, where he coughed up what had to be half his body weight in blood.

Finished, at least for the moment, he carefully leaned back against the wall, and became aware, from amidst his misery, that someone was standing in the door. Leaving his eyes closed, he looked over to find... none other than Sylphiel. Maybe if he pretended she wasn't there, she'd go away?

"I cannot believe you," she stated, voice verging on shrill. "Half starved, with a bleeding stomach, running around in the rain," she started listing, "With hardly any rest, and overworking!" Rasmus winced, and pried his eyes open, but didn't look up at her, just used the sleeve of the loose shirt someone had put on him to dab the blood from the corners of his mouth. "Rasmus!" Sylphiel shouted at him, stomping her foot. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" she demanded and he neglected to answer, just closed his eyes and let his head rest back against the wall.

She surged forward a few steps and knelt on the floor beside him, grabbing the front of his shirt in both hands. His eyes flew open- to stare in shock at the tears running down her face. "You stupid!" Sylphiel continued to rant at him, shaking him by his shirt. "Stupid man! If you wanted to die so bad, there're quicker ways to do it!" A sob broke into her rant and she bowed her head, unable to release her grip on his shirt.

Taking a slow breath, Rasmus lifted a hand to touch her braided hair, then gave in to his desperate need and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair, drowning in her scent. "Dying would mean I'd never see you again," he whispered, "Even if you're mad at me and hate my guts, at least I get to see you sometimes."

Abruptly, Sylphiel shoved away from him, breaking his hold on her, and stood, wiping her face with her sleeve and scowled down at him. "I've informed your aid that you're to rest for a week. That means you're to do nothing but get sleep, eat, and take your medicine, Rasmus. Is that clear?"

"Do I get to do it at home?" he asked sourly, stomach starting to protest again.

"Like I want you in my hospital that long," Sylphiel snapped back at him and turned, leaving the room in a rush.

Leaning forward slowly, Rasmus clutched the toilet again as he lost the contents of his stomach. The water was dark red.

...

...

He lay on his couch, having taken after David in his choice of living arrangements. The single bedroom in his apartment was given over to the library, the kitchen was mostly unused, and there was no dining room table. There was a couch and a coffee table facing the fireplace that shared a chimney with the other apartments directly below his. There were only two.

The silence was deafening.

Rasmus wiggled his toes as he stared at the ceiling, the only source of light being the oil lamp on the table beside the couch next to the phone. The rest of the room was dark; outside was dark. It had only been one day, and he was going crazy. What had made Sylphiel think that he didn't eat? It wasn't like he could see his ribs...much. He ate dinner most nights of the week, and sometimes he got lunch, he couldn't stand to eat breakfast, wasn't that enough? It was all the running around he did that made him lose weight. He spent all day in his office stuck with paperwork, and all afternoon and well into the evening out running around town, fixing this or that or dealing with students here or there.

He twitched as the phone rang.

"Thought they weren't supposed to call me," he muttered and reached back over the arm of the couch to pick up the phone. "Yes?"

"Dean Rasmus, I- I'm so sorry about this, but... there's just no way we can deal with it on our own." The voice was that of his aid, Paul Garris, a good man that had been best friends with David in his world, and that Rasmus found unaccountably drawn to confiding in on this one. "The students think you're dead and are highly upset. I've tried to tell them you're just getting rest, but they aren't listening."

"I was getting bored anyway," Rasmus stated and hung up. Sweeping the blanket off, he went to get dressed, having spent the day washing his clothes and cleaning his apartment, it now glittered in the lamp light, and he had nothing else to do but stare at the ceiling, wishing for a video game to put his hands to work on. He could have read, but didn't feel like it, as Rasmus only had magical texts in his library. He wasn't tired, really... just a little dizzy.

Taking a breath, he triggered his teleport spell and stepped out into his office, then into Paul's office. The poor hassled man sat at his desk, a willowy figure that looked washed out in the pale colors of the school staff uniform, Rasmus once again pondered giving the students a choice between white or black for their uniforms, or maybe just giving the teachers black to wear. Paul looked good in black. Four students stood in front of his desk, the four Rasmus had gone to the ruins to retrieve. Admittedly, they'd had permission to be out there, but the strange attack had not been planned and Rasmus kicked himself again for Okay'ing that little outing without doing a thorough investigation of the ruins- but they'd been digging up stuff blown out of Rezo's lab for years and he'd thought that anything living out there would have turned up before then. They looked no worse for the adventure, but did look incredibly distraught. Stepping in, Rasmus folded his arms in his sleeves, rather startled to find that he was touched by their concern. "There, I've called him," Paul was saying as Rasmus opened his door. "He's really quite alright, just overworked."

"Indeed," Rasmus agreed coming to perch on the edge of Paul's desk, to the man's relief.

The young woman of the students launched forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, sobbing on him, the other three were a bit more circumspect in their display of relief. "You really are alive!" one blurted.

"You were so pale and hardly breathing and kept coughing blood!" the wounded one added. "We really thought you'd died, what with how you just fell over like that!"

The young woman lifted her face and added, "When we told Lady Sylphiel what happened, they carried you away so quickly, we thought you really were on the edge of death!"

Finally, the quietest of the four spoke up, "Please, don't do that again? We lost one Dean already, and no one really liked him, but we'd miss you!"

He couldn't help it, couldn't have stopped himself even if he'd really wanted to. Rasmus's expression softened and he sighed, unlatching his hands from his sleeves to pat the girl on the back lightly. "Thank you for your concern, but truly, I'm just overworked... it takes a lot of effort to keep a place like this running smoothly and everyone out of trouble. I'll be back to work in a few days, maybe sooner than that, depending on how I feel."

At last, the girl let go of him, and retreated. "Now," Rasmus murmured, "go tell everyone else that you saw me, so I can get back to bed. Okay?"

Nodding, they filed from the office, and Rasmus folded his arms again with a sigh. "You really are good with them," his aid said softly. "I speak for most of the teachers too, when I say we'd miss you. You've really been a hell of a lot better than Magus. Besides knowing a lot more about magic than he ever did, you're just easier to talk to."

"Funny," Rasmus murmured, "I just got told the other day that I was a bastard to everyone I met."

His aid looked up in shock, "Who told you that?"

Shaking his head, Rasmus stood and shook his robes out, really the first time he'd gotten really dressed all day. "It hardly matters." _She'd hate me no matter how I acted,_ "I'm heading back to bed... what're you doing here at this time of night?"

Blushing, his aid looked down, "Your paperwork. I didn't realize how much you actually had to do in one day. And my god... the amount of calls that rerouted from your phone to mine! No wonder you collapsed. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Rasmus shook his head, turning away, "I could handle it..."

"Apparently not," his aid snapped and stood. "Rasmus, working yourself to nothing isn't going to do us any good at all. Pace yourself a little, please? You're not as young as you look, what with you being Rezo's copy- you've got to be over sixty physically."

"Three hundred."

His aid paused, "what?"

"Rezo was three hundred and sixteen when I was created," Rasmus reiterated. "I'm good for another couple hundred, I think."

Frowning, Paul shook his head, "only if you don't work yourself to death first. Go home. I'm navigating the paperwork. I've arranged for others to handle the emergencies, but if there's anything that you specifically have to take care of, I'll call. Okay?"

Rasmus sighed and looked back over his shoulder. "Alright, but it's really boring at home. I've already cleaned once, if I scrub any more, I won't have a floor left."

Laughing, Paul folded his arms and shook his head again, "Workaholic, that's what you are. Addicted to stress. Why don't you work on some of those projects you keep putting off?"

"Hmmm... alright. Good night." He stepped through his teleport spell and into his house again. "That entertainment only lasted about ten minutes."

Dropping onto the couch once again, Rasmus looked around his apartment, and finally stood again to pick his guitar off the wall and resettled on the couch. On fourth thought, he got up and got the fire started, then undressed and got into his bedclothes. Finally, he settled on the couch again and started picking at his guitar- only to have someone knock on the door.

Heaving a sigh, Rasmus set the guitar aside and went to answer the door. A pretty young woman stood there with a bouquet of flowers, and Rasmus pondered just slamming the door in her face, or telling her he was gay. Instead, he smiled politely and asked, "Yes?"

Blushing, she held the flowers out, "Hi, I'm Samantha, your new downstairs neighbor." He blinked, recognition hitting him. He almost DID slam the door then.

"Yes, thank you," Rasmus took the flowers and prevented her entering, "It's nice to meet you, but, I really need to get some rest. I have work first thing in the morning."

She stood there gaping as he politely shut the door and locked it. The flowers, he nearly chucked out the window, but refrained, simply because the poor flowers weren't to blame. He could just pretend Sylphiel had given them to him and then they'd be alright. Yes. That's what he'd do. Softly, he spoke to himself, miming the conversation he might have had with her, "Oh, for me? Why thank you, Syl, I'm really touched that you'd think of me. I know your schedule's just as hectic as mine. Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, I- couldn't," he continued, putting on a higher pitch for Sylphiel's voice as he went to put the flowers on the coffee table, "Well, maybe for a moment. You've been eating, right? Did you take your medicine?"

"Of course I have, but if you cooked something more for me, I'd eat that too... Cephied, this hurts too much." Rasmus collapsed to the couch and stared at the flowers, eyes watering. "I should throw them out. Pretending that SHE gave them to me is stupid and I'm stupid and obsessed. She wants nothing to do with me, so maybe I should go back downstairs to Samantha and get my brains fucked out. At least I'd sleep in a real bed for a night." Hanging his head, Rasmus slipped his fingers into his hair and curled them, pulling at the fists full of hair he'd taken, as if that pain would make everything go the way he wanted it to. Tears snuck out as he closed his eyes. "Damn you, Eris! I wish you'd never made me! Damn you Flagoon- for sending me to David. Damn you Xelloss for sending me back here!"

He never cursed Sylphiel, though, no matter how much she hated him, Rasmus could never think of her and curse her. "I hope you find someone more to your liking, Syl. I hope you can be happy when it seems there's no hope for me."

Taking up his guitar once more, he played softly the gentle melody of a love ballad he'd written four years ago, in hopes of getting to sing it to Sylphiel. He'd never gotten the chance. She'd started the hospital, the other teachers of the university had taken one look at him, his origin, if not his full background, and voted him in as Dean, no other questions asked. They thought it was so very novel to have a copy as the dean of a university researching copies and chimeras and the fact that he was Rezo's copy, with all Rezo's memories was a definite plus in their view.

"Damn them too," he said in the middle of his song and stopped playing. Thinking about that song hurt too. "Am I ever going to be whole? Or will I always feel like I'm missing half of myself?"

Closing his eyes, he sighed and stood, hung his guitar back up on the wall and headed into the kitchen to take his medicine. Lifting the bottle, he read, "Eat before taking." Shrugging, he took it anyway, having nothing in the icebox to eat or make, nothing in the cupboard that wasn't fuzzy. He'd thrown most of it out, except the jar of pickles he thought might actually be able to cut the fuzzy parts off of and he had a feeling that if he went out to get something to eat, Sylphiel would hear about it and get upset. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't," he muttered, gagging on the taste of the syrup and dropped the spoon into the sink. This wouldn't be the first time he'd gone without eating all day. Lifting his shirt, he eyed his ribs, "Not that bony," he muttered and headed back to the couch, where he wrapped the blankets around his shoulders and curled up against the arm of the couch, watching the way the light danced across the petals of the flowers, imagining what Sylphiel's hair would look like in firelight.

_'What do you think... about hot coco in front of a warm fire on a cold winter evening?'_

_'I'd only really like it if it was with you, after a day of playing in the snow.'_

"Oh god," Rasmus sobbed.

...

...

Maybe it was illegal, but... she was worried about him. Heart beating loudly in her throat, Sylphiel paced up the stairs to the third floor, fingering the copy of the key to Rasmus's apartment as she went. The building wasn't that old, built within the last four years, but it hadn't exactly been kept up, and was one of the cheap places meant to house students of the university who were old enough to be on their own in town. Why Rasmus had decided to live in one of them too, was beyond her. Then again, he'd used to live in the dorm wing, so this was better, but not by much.

Hesitating at the door, Sylphiel shifted her basket of groceries, fingered the key, and finally palmed it in favor of knocking. No noise... nothing. Scowling, her annoyance overriding her wish to be polite, Sylphiel unlocked his door and stepped in, eyes scanning the apartment. It was, in effect, two rooms. One bedroom, and one living room conjoined with dining room and a little kitchen alcove off to the side. To the left of the door was the fireplace, the fire within burnt down to ashes, and in front of that was a coffee table with a vase full of wilting flowers. In front of that was the ratty brown couch with bits of the upholstery worn away to reveal the stuffing beneath. Maybe the couch had been some color before, but it was definitely brown now. There was no dining room table though there was a small table beside the couch with a phone on it, the straight-shot view from the door revealed that the bedroom was a library, and lastly, the floors were hardwood. At least they looked to have been swept recently, but there were robes on the floor and dents in the wall straight across from the door. A thick linked plate belt was piled on the floor beneath the dented wall.

"At least it's better than blowing up buildings," Sylphiel sighed, shutting the door behind her, and headed into the kitchen to put her basket down, wondering if Rasmus had a cot set up in the library that he slept on, and whether he was still in it or if he'd run off to work anyway. Glancing in the sink, she found a single spoon, and sighed. If he'd taken his medication on an empty stomach, he was likely to be out cold still.

Turning around, she found the answer to her question, in the form of a fluff of tangled violet hair that spilled over the arm of the couch, nothing of the owner visible beneath the wrap of blankets. Frowning, Sylphiel went to crouch in front of him and could not see his face, due to the blankets. He didn't stir as she pulled the blanket down enough to see his closed eyes. He was laying partially on his back, the couch far too short for his long frame to fit comfortably on. Sylphiel hesitated, then pulled the blanket down further, revealing the rest of his face. He was asleep, softly breathing, and expression contorted into one of pain. There were tear tracks down his cheeks.

Gently, Sylphiel scrubbed them away. "Oh, Rasmus," she whispered, "what do you have to cry about? You've got fame, fortune, and an important position. You've got a life. What more could you want?"

"Sylphiel," he murmured in his sleep, as if answering her question. His expression eased and his hand crept up to capture hers and pulled it down to tuck his face against, then turned and kissed her palm, smiling slightly.

A hot blush crept up her face, but even so, Sylphiel just couldn't find the strength to pull her hand from his grip. Instead, she moved closer, lifting her other trembling hand to tuck the short hairs beside his ears back and slowly stood up on her knees, looking down at his peaceful expression. Her heart thundered in her chest fear that he would wake and find her there pressed against the back of her mind. She licked her lips- ashamed of herself for taking advantage of him while he was like this. It was like the forbidden cookie before dinner. But the longer she delayed the more likely it would be that he'd awaken.

Timidly, she touched her lips to his, eyes falling half closed- then opening wide as he returned her kiss in his sleep, sliding the hand that had been holding hers, up and into her hair, drawing her down to him when she tried to pull away. As if he were starving for the taste of her, Rasmus forced his way past her weak resistance, and kissed her hard. Was he awake? Sylphiel stared at his face, unable to tell. His eyes were closed.

He released her, and settled back in his blankets, smiling contentedly.

Stunned and dizzy, Sylphiel got to her feet and went to the kitchen again. Opening his cupboards, she sighed in exasperation when she at last discovered his pots and pans, full of dust. Washing them before she made use of them, Sylphiel made a large batch of fried rice and was glad that she had made the assumption that he did not have any bento boxes. Filling all the boxes she had brought, Sylphiel washed the pans she had used again, dried them, and put them away. Stopping by Rasmus, she set a box and pair of chopsticks down on the coffee table in front of him with her note.

He was still asleep.

Taking her basket, Sylphiel hurried to leave before he found her there, locking the door behind her.

...

...

The sound of the door closing registered on him, and Rasmus opened his eyes reluctantly. He'd been having the best dream ever. Sylphiel had been in his kitchen, humming as she cooked.

His heart nearly stopped as he registered that there was a bento box and note on the table in front of him, and Sylphiel's scent lingered in the room beneath the smell of freshly cooked food.

Sitting up, he took the note. "Your medicine is to be taken WITH FOOD. Flagoon informed me that David and Syl's wedding will be on the eighteenth."

His hand shook. "Take with one hand, stab with the other, Syl..." He put the note on the table and slid it away, half inclined to ignore the food, but his stomach grumbled. Giving in, he opened the bento box, shocked by the contents. "This is too pretty to eat," he sighed and looked up at the ceiling briefly as he silently said his prayer to Cephied.

Picking up his chopsticks, he ate anyway, pausing to admire the carrot kitty Sylphiel had made before consuming it.

The phone rang before he was halfway through his meal, and he glanced out the window to determine that it was just past noon. Reaching over, he picked up the phone. "Yes?"

"Ras," Paul said. "I honestly wish this crap would quit happening, but this absolutely needs your attention."

Sighing, Rasmus said, "I'll be there shortly."

He hung up the phone and reluctantly set down his lunch in order to get dressed. Taking his lunch with him, he stepped into a teleport, reappearing in his office. Stepping out, he lifted a brow at Paul. "Research lab twelve," Paul said. "And you may not want to be eating when you go in."

Lowering his chopsticks, Rasmus stared at him, "What do you mean by that?"

"I... You've got to see it to believe it," he shook his head. "I have no idea how they did it. You're probably going to be pissed."

"Great." He quickly finished his lunch and set it down on Paul's desk. "Lab twelve... Weren't they working on that jar thing that was found in the ruins?"

"Yes. You classified it as Not Rezo's," Paul said, handing a file to Rasmus.

"Thanks. When's the last time you've had a break?"

"Two weeks ago, Ras. I'm fine. You need one more than I do. Wish this crap would just stop for a little."

"Same here." Using his fingers to read as he walked, Rasmus headed down the hall and down the stairs to the first level, then to the north wing. Again, he headed downstairs. The file was full of mostly speculations and theories on the source and purpose of the jar, but nothing concrete. It would have been a fascinating puzzle that Rasmus would have liked to participate in, but his duties as Dean left him little time to eat, let alone sleep or do anything for fun. _'Maybe I make work for myself at times too, but that's because if I'm not busy, I don't know what to do with myself... other than stare at the wall and think of Sylphiel.'_ Hardly productive use of his time.

At the third basement level, Rasmus continued down another hall, heading south. Snapping the file shut, he entered the lab.

His breath left him.

The file scattered on the floor as it slipped from his suddenly cold fingers.

Rezo turned to look at him, wearing a sheet to cover his nudity. "Who are you?"

Rasmus backed out the door and leaned against the wall, ignoring Professor Aeries as he called, "Dean Rasmus?"

"Why?" Rasmus asked the ceiling. "Why does this kind of thing happen to me?"

Aeries stepped out, "Dean?" he asked again. "Are you all right? You're pale."

Strangling the urge to strangle Aeries, Rasmus forced his fingers to relax. "How did this happen?"

"I... broke it." He looked down at the floor, chagrinned.

Taking a breath, Rasmus forced his expression to one of calm and straightened. "Pick the file up," he said and stepped over the papers as he approached the man who looked exactly like Rezo, seated in the professor's desk chair, wearing a table cloth. Closing his eyes, he assessed the man's aura and came to the conclusion that the man was on par with Rasmus's own power. "Do you know your name?" Rasmus asked calmly.

"I am Rezo, the Red Priest."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I..." He frowned slightly.

"Do you not remember?"

"No. I remember." He turned his face away.

Rasmus pondered the situation. "Who was the last person you were with?"

"Lina Inverse."

"Was Amelia there?"

"No? Who is Amelia?"

Tapping his finger on his arm as he folded them, Rasmus asked, "Did your encounter with Lina have to do with your eyes?"

"Yes - how do you know this?"

"Try opening them."

Rezo frowned at him, "If you know me so well, then you would know I cannot."

"Humor me."

"Your voice is very similar to mine, who are you?"

"Just open your eyes. I have a theory."

If Rezo had not been sitting, he would have collapsed to the floor. "But- then- it worked!"

"Yes, apparently. And somehow, you sidled the consequences," Rasmus said. "Now." Picking up a shard of the jar, he lifted it, "Mind filling us in on just how you managed to do it?"

Unfortunately, he did not have Rezo's attention. The man was staring at his hands, then at Rasmus. "What color is that?" he asked, pointing at the shard Rasmus was holding.

"Cephied," Rasmus muttered. "It's red."

Taking the shard, Rezo grinned broadly. "Red! It's amazing! And this?" he pulled at the sheet on his lap.

"White."

"This?"

"Brown."

"Are those your eyes? They're not the same color!"

"No, they're not."

"What colors are they."

"Rezo! A little seriousness is required here!"

The Red Priest sat back as he looked up at Rasmus. "What was this before?" he asked.

"A jar."

Closing his eyes again, but with great reluctance, Rezo ran his fingers over the shard carefully. "There's no power on it anymore. It's just a jar."

Resisting the urge to slap him, Rasmus turned and took the file from Aeries and handed Rezo the picture of the piece as it was whole. "You had to have done this shortly before your last experiment. Do you recognize it?"

Running his fingers over the page, eyes closed, Rezo finally said "No."

Rasmus took a breath and calmed himself again, then reached into his subspace pocket in his sleeve, pulling out some clothes. Taking the paper from Rezo, he tossed the robes at the man.

"You are very rude," Rezo said, taking the clothes, he fondled them briefly, then frowned up at Rasmus. "These are mine... How did you get them?"

Unable to force himself to say it, Rasmus remained silent as Rezo stared up at him with blue-purple eyes.

"I have been accomodating," Rezo said, taking the no-nonsense tone Rasmus had learned worked well on children.

"Aeries," Rasmus said, "Leave. Close the door. Go on lunch break or something, but if you speak of this until I give you leave, you're fired."

The man squeaked and was gone. The door banged shut loudly behind him.

"That is no way to treat your assistant."

"You treated Eris like that all the time," Rasmus retorted. "And I know because..." He set his shoulders and forged on. "I'm the last copy you created before you turned to researching how to summon Shabranigdu."

Rezo stared at him, then closed his eyes. "You've become exceptionally powerful! I didn't think that was possible."

"Done correctly a copy can inherit both the memories and powers of their original," Rasmus said.

"But you had neither when I created you." Rezo opened his eyes again.

"It took a few months to awaken fully," Rasmus said. "I may be your copy, but I am a person in my own right, Rezo. You will not use me, or order me. If you must think of me as any relation to you, then," he struggled to come up with a term that would be comfortable. "Cousin."

"Not brothers?"

Rasmus frowned. "Invites too much familiararity."

Rezo stood, dropping the sheet to the floor and began dressing. "If that is how you feel." He looked into Rasmus's eyes again. "Are my eyes like that too?"

"No. This was the result of your test spell. Since there was nothing wrong with my eyes..."

"I see... Perhaps I should research how to correct-"

"No."

"No?"

"Absolutely not. It differentiates me, and I'm used to it."

Rezo shook his head slightly, brushing wrinkles from his robes. "What name do I call you?"

"I am Rasmus Alcander Graywords. Dean of the Chimera and Copy Research University of Sairaag."

Brows rising, Rezo chuckled, "How fitting."

Rasmus stared at Rezo, then picked up the file on the jar and headed for the door. He paused at the door and looked back at Rezo. "This is not an appropreate place to house you," he prompted.

Rezo chuckled. "Much as you would like to, I suspect." He glanced around the hall as he stepped out. "Where is Eris?"

"I killed her."

"What?"

Rasmus turned to face Rezo. "She is dead. And hopefully will stay that way. If she doesn't, she's yours to deal with, because if I see her again her fate at my hands last time will be nothing compared to what I will befall her this time."

"Such malice," Rezo said, stunned. "What could she have possibly done?"

"I'll let you keep your illusions." Rasmus turned away and started down the hall.

Rezo moved to keep pace with him. "How long has it been?"

Rasmus pondered for a second. "Ten years, I believe."

"Hm." His stomach growled.

"A majority of the population does not realize that you died. You are free to do as you please."

"Except remain here," Rezo said keenly.

"I would prefer that."

"Tell me of this university?"

They mounted the stairs to the ground floor just as classes let out and students filed into the hall, freed for lunch.

"Dean Rasmus!" one of the students called. She dashed to him, throwing her arms around his waist. "I heard a rumor that you got real sick!"

"I'm perfectly fine, Lady Jasamie," Rasmus said soothingly and patted her back. "However, I am busy at the moment."

"Please don't work too hard! Everyone's gonna be on real good behavior so you can get rest, okay? I'll make em!" she hoisted a fist.

Rasmus chuckled.

Her eyes drifted to Rezo, "Ohh is this your brother?"

"Of a sort. I am Rezo."

She gaped, immediately making the connection as she looked from Rezo to Rasmus. "Wow!"

Somehow, Rasmus controled his expression and hid his irritation. His stomach began to churn, warming from the cold lump it had been upon first seeing Rezo. The Red Priest took her hand gently and bowed. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Your lunch period is running out," Rasmus reminded.

"Oh!" Jesamie gasped again and cutsied to Rezo, "I'm sorry, Lord Rezo, I have to go."

Unfortunately, others had noticed Rezo and Rasmus and were staring. _'I really hate my life. I really honestly do.'_ Rasmus smiled politely and began walking, letting Rezo disengage from the young noble.

As he reached Rasmus's side again, Rezo prompted, "You were about to tell me about your school."

"It began as a research facility, rebuilt from the previous one on the outskirts of Sairaag."

"Rebuilt?"

"Lina Inverse."

"Ah."

Rasmus continued, "It expanded to begin offering classes on white magic to those with aptitude. Since my becoming Dean, we have begun offering classes on the sciences, literature, mathmatics, and law." He led the way to the main stairs, going up the three flights to the administration floor, and turned south again, heading for his office. "The magical studies now include shamanism and black magic. Students with aptitude are given the chance to assist in the research labs. Research has also expanded to include the magical items you collected, other items sold to the university by treasure hunters, and further exploration into the capabilities of magic. As a result this institute has created several magical items that can be used by those without magical ability that increase productivity, and everyday convenience."

Rezo nodded as he listened, smiling. "A beacon of learning," he said approvingly.

They entered Paul's office, he winced as he looked from Rasmus to Rezo.

Placing the file on Paul's desk, Rasmus said, "Thank you."

"Things worked out...?"

"Of a sort," Rasmus said. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"I was working on the graduation applications."

"I'll take them."

Paul looked from Rasmus to Rezo again, then said, "No."

Rezo chuckled.

"You're supposed to be resting anyway," Paul said. "If this hadn't been way out of the ordinary, I wouldn't have called you."

"I can rest and check papers, Paul. It's not that strenuous an activity."

"No. I've got it handled. Go hang out with him if you're bored."

Rasmus failed to fully control his face.

"Surely my company isn't that abhorent?" Rezo asked.

Paul frowned at Rasmus until the Dean muttered, "Fine." Whatever else he would have said he kept behind his teeth and turned to Rezo. "I will show you Sairaag. It has changed greatly since you were last here."

"I would love to see it," Rezo broke into a broad smile.

Turning towards the door, Rasmus led the way back down to the ground floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

For a time, they walked silently, Rezo gawking like a country boy at the scenery. After nearly ten minutes, he closed his eyes and gazed at Rasmus. "You are not well," he said.

"I'm fine."

"'Fine' doesn't usually cover a bleeding ulcer," Rezo said. "Why hasn't it been healed?"

"It has. Repeatedly."

Rezo frowned, opening his eyes again. "Which suggests that this is a problem with your lifestyle. I have never suffered from such an affliction."

"Well, everyone knows you're perfect," Rasmus muttered.

"Perfect? If you have my memories, as you claim to, then you are well aware that I am far from it."

"Just... leave it, Rezo. Look, there's a bird." He pointed.

Rezo looked, "We will discuss this later, but first, what kind of bird is that?"

"A blue jay."

"So that is blue!" Rezo smiled. "I find it hard to regret my actions if this is what I missed all my life."

Rasmus shook his head.

"Sairaag has changed, indeed. I don't recognize any of this," Rezo said. "This is further north of Flagoon than my manse..." He looked to Rasmus, "What happened to that?"

"It got blown up. As did both your labs."

"Lina Inverse?" Rezo asked, looking a little irritated.

Deciding to let his original think that, Rasmus kept silent. Besides, they were in public and admitting to having destroyed half of Sairaag, despite having helped rebuild it in recent times, was not a good idea.

"RASMUS!"

Wincing, he turned to look at Lina as she charged down the street, fists balled. "Name the beast and it comes," Rasmus said.

Rezo paled, then boldly turned to look. "So that's what she looks like? She is very tiny indeed."

"Who you calling tiny?" Lina demanded, waving a finger at his nose, then stopped as she actually looked at him.

Rasmus laughed up his sleeve at her expression, then cleared his throat, "Lina, perhaps you should be kinder to Rezo? He's only just recovered from that terrible illness."

She stared at him, mouth opening and closing, "Illness?" she lowered her voice, "that what we're calling it now?"

"Yes," Rasmus said just as quietly, "Easier to explain."

"Right..." She glared at him. "Don't think this has distracted me from how rude you were the other night!"

Rasmus kept his expression perfectly serene. "Perhaps you should refrain from shouting my personal business to everyone in town?"

Rezo lifted a curl of Lina's hair, "This is red, isn't it?" he asked.

She shifted uncomfortably, pulling her hair away from his hand, "Yeah. It is."

"What color is this?" he pointed at her breasts.

Her face turned bright red.

"Yellow," Rasmus supplied, "And pointing at that area on ladies is rude. Especially when that lady is Miss Inverse. Perhaps you should apologize before she does something about the insult."

Rezo pulled his hand back and bowed slightly. "I apologize. It's simply a very lovely color."

Lina's blush turned to one of embarrassment.

"I would like to apologize for our previous encounter," Rezo said to Lina.

"Did you learn from the mistake?" she jabbed her finger at his nose again.

"Learn?"

Rasmus turned and started walking away.

"Where you going?" Lina demanded.

"You're not one of my students and thus whatever you do to him isn't my problem. I'm just moving out of the blast radius."

"Blast radius-" Lina fumed, rolling her sleeve up, "I'll show YOU blast radius!"

"Miss Inverse," Rezo said calmly and placed his hand on her shoulder, "There's no need to get violent."

She glared at him. "Don't you patronize me!" she turned and found Rasmus had disappeared. "He thinks he can just distract me and run off! I'll find him! You hear that, Rasmus! I'll find you! You can't avoid me forever!" Huffing, Lina turned back to Rezo.

"Since Rasmus has left, perhaps you would be so kind as to continue showing me around the city? This is the first time I've actually _seen_ it."

Lina frowned at him. "Only if you buy me lunch."

Rezo reached into his sleeve, and after a moment of hunting around he nodded. "I appear to still have funds," he said. "Where would you suggest?"

A wicked smile crossed her lips and she looped her arm with his, "Right this way, Rezo!" She marched him off down the street.

Rasmus sighed and relaxed, glancing at the baker and the customers he had startled by his hasty entrance. Nodding to them, he stepped back out onto the street and started walking. If he hurried, he could catch a glimpse of Sylphiel as she left the hospital and headed for her daily rituals at Flagoon.

...

...

Rezo watched as Lina consumed, messily, another plate of roast chicken. Gourry reached over and stole a leg from her before she could stop him, and yet another fight broke out between the pair.

He supposed he should have been disgusted by the display, but instead, he was fascinated. The way light sparkled in the glass of red wine in front of him as the table shook. The way the congealed fat wiggled on the table cloth, glistening yellow against brilliant white, slowly staining the cloth. The way Lina's elbow thwacked Gourry's forehead, sending him to the floor in a heap. These things were probably very mundane - or maybe not so mundane, Rezo mused, noticing the others in the restaurant were staring. But the fact remained that these were new things to him. It was wonderful.

"Your bill, Dean Rasmus," the manager said as he approached carefully, avoiding Lina's foot as she reared back to kick Gourry away from her pudding.

Taking the bill, Rezo smiled, "I am Rezo," he said gently. "The confusion is understandable, however. Thank you." He ran his fingers across the bill and managed to not react to the total. They had included the price of all the broken dishes that now littered the floor. And a charge for having brought a Known Hazard onto the property. Reaching into his sleeve, Rezo searched for a moment before he found his money and after weighing it in his palm, he handed the entire bag to the man. "That should cover it."

The manager bowed, eyes wide, "L-lord Rezo," he bowed again. "It has been a pleasure serving you, sir. Please come again." He glanced at Lina again before darting away from the war zone.

_'Serving me, but not Lina,'_ Rezo translated.

Lina dropped back in her seat and burped behind her hand, "Excellent! I'll have to come back here some time!"

Rezo was amused when he saw the manager wince at that declaration. "Would you happen to have any suggestions of somewhere I might stay... as my manse in town seems to have been destroyed..."

Lina bit her lower lip as she looked away. "Uh... Yeah. I'll help you with that. Though why Ras isn't... well, never mind, I know why he isn't. Or wouldn't." She sighed and rolled her eyes. Getting to her feet, she grinned, then looked down at Gourry where he lay on the floor. "Gourry! Get up!" Reaching down, she grabbed his hair and hauled him to his feet by it.

When he was steady, she let go and marched for the door. Rezo smiled and gave a polite bow to the manager. Lina was already on the street, tapping her foot in irritation. "You're so slow!"

"I'm very old," Rezo said. "And find no reason to hurry."

"The day's wasting!"

"It's hardly three in the afternoon," Rezo said. "Plenty of time to see more of the city and for you to tell me all about how you came to destroy my manse. And both my labs."

Lina lifted a finger, opening her mouth, then glanced around and closed her mouth. "That's a rather lengthy topic, actually. And not something I want to talk about." She lowered her voice. "In public anyway. Promises or no, Ras would kill me!" Looping her arm with Rezo's, she turned him to face a direction. He briefly closed his eyes, reading the magnetic fields, and determined it was south, towards Flagoon. He opened his eyes again, watching everything as they walked. Town was bustling, but he noticed there were only children younger than eight and older than eighteen in evidence.

"Where are the children?" Rezo asked.

"Oh. Ras has this thing where he provides free classes during the day to kids. They're taught reading, writing and basic math."

"What a beautiful idea," Rezo said, entirely amazed.

"He said he got the idea from across the Mirror. Along with a bunch of other neat things that are really starting to catch on. Like ice boxes! They keep your food cold so it lasts for weeks instead of just days! And showers! Those are pretty amazing. Although, I still like a good bath from time to time, but if you want to get clean fast, you don't have to wait for the water to heat up because it stays heated, just waiting for you to use it!" Lina flung her free hand out. "He's pretty amazing." She glanced up at Rezo, lowering her voice again, "But I suspect he's still hung up on being better than you. Though why, I can't figure out." She shrugged.

"Better than me?" Rezo asked, completely taken aback by the very idea. "But he's a completely different person." He pressed his lips together, "I certainly wouldn't have had the patience to run a school... My achievements were motivated by selfishness."

"Doesn't stop Ras from tearing himself up with insecurities." Lina sighed. "He can't even admit to the woman he likes that he likes her. Instead he drives her up the wall with this stand-offish attitude and snooty mask. Like she's beneath his notice. I just want to punch him!"

Rezo chuckled. "I think I recognize that behavior..."

"Oh? So he gets it from you!"

"Unfortunately."

"How do I make him stop it?"

Rezo shrugged. "I have no idea. The woman I admired never knew how I felt and married another."

Lina's face fell. "Aw man. There's no hope for Ras then." She sighed. "Sylphiel's a real catch." She gave him a sly-eyed look. "I wonder... maybe if it looked like _you_ were interested in Sylphiel, he'd step it up?"

"Sylphiel Raada? The Shrine Maiden?" Rezo glanced at Lina briefly before a paper fluttering by caught his attention and he watched it ark and twist through the air on the light breeze that swept through the street. "I tried to teach her white magic at one time, as a favor to her father. She had a distressing tendency to ground most of the power she summoned before fully casting the spell..."

Lina burst out laughing. "Her Flare Carrots were pretty cute, but very useless. She's gotten better."

"Oh, well, I suppose that's good. However, I would rather not get involved with the situation. I fear doing so would only result in more distress to him. You may not have noticed but he has been under a great deal of stress for a very long time."

"How would you know? You just got here," Lina scowled.

"The physical symptoms of his stress were very difficult to not notice. In addition to their being reoccurring, by his own admission. I have never manifested such problems. I can only assume that I have never been in enough constant irritation, lack of sleep, and starvation to develop the problem. Of course, I have never had an entire community looking to me for leadership. I don't know how I would react in such a situation."

They came around a corner and while Rezo had been aware that they were walking towards Flagoon, his first real sight of the Holy Tree took his breath away. "Its more beautiful than I imagined."

Lina grinned, like she had made it herself. "I know, right? It's grown quite a lot since being replanted."

"Re-planted?" Rezo asked.

"Hellmaster Phibrizzo destroyed it like six or so years ago." Lina tugged his arm and Rezo began walking again.

"We are currently alone," Rezo said, discounting Gourry's presence as the blonde walked behind them. "How is it that a good portion of the old city was destroyed?"

"Well... You remember that little project you were working on to resurrect Zanafaar?"

"I wasn't working to resurrect Zanafaar. I was working on an ancient artifact called the Zanafaar Armor, where the demon beast was used as an-"

Lina waved her hand. "Eris used it as a way to resurrect Zanafaar."

"Eris? Does this have to do with why Rasmus killed her?"

"He told you about that?" Lina winced. Rezo nodded. "Well, yes and no. See, she got real obsessive after I killed you... Or, if we're going to be completely honest, you killed yourself and I destroyed the product of your self destruction. But she got it in her head that she had to get revenge for your death, never mind that you brought it on yourself."

"I would say it was worth it," Rezo smiled as they continued to walk towards Flagoon. The buildings had ended some hundred feet back and the wide, cobbled path leading to the Holy Tree was clear and clean, edged with a low stone wall and flower planters. "This is a lovely path."

"Rasmus used some of the school's money to have it built. That and the hospital," Lina said.

Rezo nodded. "I'm sure Sylphiel completely missed that they were gifts for her."

"What?" Lina blinked.

"From what I recall of Lady Raada, she was infatuated with Flagoon since she was a little girl and had a dream of running a house of healing that would serve anyone who could come."

Lina considered this for a time, then slowly nodded. "I think I see what you mean. She does like the park and path, and the hospital a lot. But things are a little complicated... Rasmus is the one who destroyed the city. And your labs. I was involved, but he - he called it a temper tantrum."

Rezo stopped. "Destroyed half a city? I didn't know I had that capability..."

"Yeah. He used an overcharged Mega Brunt to do it too."

"One?"

"Yeah."

Rezo shivered. "I had no idea I had that kind of power..." he shook his head. "Amazing."

Lina snorted. "Anyway. Then Eris tried to summon Zanafaar into herself and Rasmus... Well, I really don't blame him for what he did to her. I was thinking of doing it myself at the time. I mean, she... Knowing him now, I can say that her last words probably still hurt. That had to be the cruelest thing anyone could have said to him."

"What did she say?"

"She said 'In the end, you're still just a copy.'"

Rezo began walking again, continuing towards Flagoon.

"What?" Lina asked, "No comment? At all?"

"I'm simply stunned. That wasn't the Eris I knew."

"She was crazy. I got the feeling she used him the way she couldn't use you."

"Used?" Rezo felt his face pale. "No. I believe I fully understand." He sighed. "I understand now what he meant..."

"Meant? When?"

"When he told me that he had killed her, and would do it again."

"Oh, he wouldn't kill her if she showed up again. He'd imprison her in the secret headmaster's laboratory and torture her daily until she died of old age," Lina said cheerfully. Rezo stared at her. "I got him drunk once. Not going to repeat that experience again." She rolled her eyes. "He's bitter and weepy and no fun at all."

"That's mildly sick," Rezo mused.

"I don't think he'd actually do it though. He's changed a lot since I killed him."

"Y-...w..." Rezo stared at her.

"Yeah. He took Zanafaar after killing Eris and made me kill him. Some stuff involving Flagoon and the other side of the mirror brought him back. Me and my friends never talked about who destroyed Sairaag, so when he was forced to come back here, we decided to keep it a secret between us and see how he did. Haven't had to even look at him sideways since then. His behavior's been perfect."

Rezo gazed down at her for a time. "Just like you never talked about who summoned Shabranigdu?"

"Pretty much. So, apparently you've been sick or something, finally fixed your eyes, and now you're back on your feet. How did that happen anyway?" Lina thumped against his side playfully. "And what're you going to do now?"

"I have no idea, on either account. I recall you casting that spell, then I was standing in a lab with a man's face in my..." Rezo coughed. "My goal in life had always been to cure my sight. Thus, I have no idea what to do now."

"What about teaching?" Gourry said.

They both looked back at him.

"You're supposed to be really smart and stuff, right?" Gourry said, "So why not teach? Ras doesn't have time to."

Rezo pondered that. "I'll have to think about it. Given what you've said, I'm not sure Rasmus would appreciate my continued presence."

They had reached the edge of the Holy Flagoon park and headed towards the center of the tree where the Mirror spread out around the tree's great trunk. Rezo breathed deeply. "This is a peaceful place now," he said. "I last remember it being a haven for ill feelings."

"Yeah, well, I think Flagoon finally ate the last of Zanafaar," Lina said, glancing up as a figure jogged down the path towards them. The man stumbled as he was about to pass Lina, his hand coming out to slap her across the forehead.

A bright explosion sent Lina to her rear, the man staggered away, gripping his hand, glaring.

"Hey!" Lina shouted as she sprang to her feet, her headband fluttering down around her shoulders, burnt straight through.

The man's expression became stricken and he turned away, running.

"Come back here! You hit me on purpose! Come back here!" Lina shouted and took chase. "Flare arrow!"

Gourry was only a step behind Lina, intent on catching the man who had accosted his girlfriend. Rezo stared after them, then frowned as he crouched to pick up the remaining end of Lina's headband. Closing his eyes, he inspected the item.

"Remains of a control resistance spell, and..." Rezo rubbed the burnt end between his fingers. "That was no accident." He looked back the way Lina had run, chasing the strange man back towards town.

...

...

Rasmus leaned against a tree some distance from the front doors of the hospital, arms folded in his sleeves. The clock tower of the university chimed three, and right on cue, Sylphiel stepped out into the sunshine. She was wearing her white hospital uniform still. _'Just like David's Syl... They're getting married in...'_ he counted the days, _'Thirteen days.'_ Depression hit as he watched Sylphiel stride down the road towards him. He had picked his spot carefully. If she was preoccupied, which she normally was, she would completely miss seeing him, allowing him to watch her pass and not have to come up with an excuse for why he was there.

Luck was not with him today. She looked towards him and frowned.

"You are supposed to be resting," she said.

He shrugged. "I'm not working right now. So this would be resting. Unless you think I'm somehow contagious."

Sylphiel flushed. "No, you're not..." She pressed her lips together briefly. "What are you doing here?"

"Was out walking. Thought I'd stop by and thank you. Though if you'd wanted me to eat those, you shouldn't have made them so cute."

She flushed and whipped her hair as she looked away. "I -I was asked to make sure you were okay." Her face was completely red. "Paul was worried."

Rasmus kept his composure, hiding his disappointment.

"I have to go," she said and started walking.

He sighed, watching her go, drinking in how the light shimmered off her hair and the short skirt of her uniform clung to her behind. Pushing off the tree, he began walking, wandering town until he found his steps inevitably drawn back towards the university. Knowing Paul would kick him out again, but having no other idea of what to do with his time, Rasmus took a seat on one of the benches in the front courtyard.

_'What the hell do I do with free time anyway? I wish Paul had let me do those papers. Or at least some of them. I can sit around and do tedious stuff and not be stressed.'_

A carriage rolled in, drawn by matching brown horses. He watched it come to a stop at the front stairs and the driver hopped off, opening the door with a bow. _'Who let a carriage in here? And I hope he has no intention of parking it here. Maybe I should install those posts at the entrance. These stupid rich people think the rules don't apply to them.'_

Getting to his feet, Rasmus strode over, arriving in time to see a portly man step out of the carriage, holding a large folder of papers. _'Don't recall there being anyone of importance coming today... Those things are usually scheduled well in advance.'_

Stepping closer, Rasmus cleared his throat. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The portly man gave him a red-faced look as he struggled down the final step of the carriage. "You may carry my portfolio," he said haughtily.

Rasmus did not move his hands to take it. "Perhaps I should rephrase; what is your reason for being here and how may I assist?"

The man adjusted his hat. "My business is none of your concern!"

"You realize vehicles are prohibited in the courtyard," Rasmus said.

"Do you know who I am?" the portly man demanded.

"No," Rasmus said with a smile. "Perhaps you should introduce yourself."

"I am Lord Albus Rhamsees of Wytheria!"

"I am Dean Graywords," Rasmus said, inwardly wincing. _'I've had more than enough of Wytheria, that's for sure.'_ "Wytheria is outside of the Mazouku barrier, correct?"

The man sputtered in shock.

Rasmus said calmly, "As you are from so far away, I'll forgive your lack of knowledge about the customs and rules of Sairaag and this university and simply request that your carriage be moved elsewhere for the time being. I assume that you are here on business?"

Albus puffed again. "I've come with a research proposal," he said haughtily.

"I would be glad to hear it. Shall we adjourn to my office?"

The man was already sweating. "Yes."

_'He's going to hate the stairs,'_ Rasmus thought gleefully. Turning, he began up the stairs to the front doors, leaving Albus to huff and puff trying to catch up.

The trip up to the third floor was punctuated by Albus's wheezing as he struggled to keep up with Rasmus's slow but steady pace. As they entered Paul's portion of the office, his aid opened his mouth, then closed it again when he saw Rasmus's companion. "If you would make tea, Paul?" Rasmus requested and headed into his office to take a seat in the more comfortable of the chairs in the seating area.

Albus dropped into a seat on the green leather couch and set his portfolio on the coffee table in front of him, taking a moment more to wheeze and gasp, mopping his brow with a kerchief he pulled from his pocket. By the time he was ready to speak, Paul had entered with a tea service. Setting it on the coffee table, he fixed Rasmus a cup and handed it to him. "Cream, sir?"

The portly man nodded.

"Sugar?"

"Two lumps," he said haughtily.

Paul handed the man his cup and retreated with a hard look at Rasmus, who sipped his tea with an arched brow.

Gulping his tea, Albus set his cup down and opened his portfolio. "Now I'm sure you're a learned man and know that outside what you call the Barrier, magic is not commonly known or used. But we still have many stories and artifacts that point to our once having a very rich magical history."

Rasmus nodded to this but kept his peace, waiting.

Albus pulled out a paper. "This is a rubbing from an ancient ruin in Wytheria. Preliminary translations of it indicate a ritual in which the lives of sacrifices were used to extend the life and health of an individual." He held up another rubbing that showed what looked like a depiction of the ritual.

"There are many such stories," Rasmus said calmly, waiting for the point.

"I want it researched."

Taking a slow breath, Rasmus formulated the best wording for his answer.

"I'm willing to pay handsomely."

"I'm afraid money is not the issue," Rasmus said.

"But there's more than sufficient evidence to prove that it's possible!" Albus argued.

"Possibility isn't the issue, sir. It's a matter of ethics."

"Ethics? Since when has magic had anything to do with ethics?"

"This school and its research facility have much to do with ethics since I became Dean. I will not approve research into the subject of using one life to lengthen another."

Albus's face turned red. Somehow, he held his temper, though it was obvious he was about to explode. "Rather hypocritical of you. All mages are evil."

"Hardly. I strive to retain faculty and staff that foster a sense of responsibility, duty, and proper response to problems in all my students. However, what students do with their knowledge after they graduate here is another matter, as knowledge of any kind is power. A student who obtains a degree in law and becomes a despot in their kingdom using that knowledge is not the fault of the teachers who taught him. To assume that all mages are evil would be the same as assuming all law students are despots.

"As such, I do not have control over what students do after they leave this school, but while they are here, I do insist on teaching them that there are consequences for wonton destruction, and using magic to harm others for the sake of harming others is an unethical use of power. Lord Rhamsees, there are very few subjects that would earn an immediate dismissal from me. But anything involving sacrifice of life is one of them."

"What about animals? They don't matter."

"Life is life."

Albus glowered. "What about bringing back the dead?"

"No."

"No?" Albus shouted.

"That is one of the subjects that all reputable magic schools have marked as forbidden."

"Forbidden? Why?"

"It defies nature and upsets the balance of the world," Rasmus took a sip of his tea. "Not to forget that any attempts with partial results are either inhumane or unsanitary."

"Unsanitary?" Albus's face squinted in confusion.

"Rotting corpses wandering the streets hardly seems safe. Spirits brought back from their rest, knowing that they are dead, are never content to accept their unnatural states." Rasmus finished his tea.

"What about those chimera? How is that ethical?"

"The chimera here are used to research how to undo the spell that combined the dissimilar creatures in the first place in order to aid those who were turned unwillingly."

"And -" he gestured vaguely at Rasmus, "Copies?"

"Did you have a choice in your birth? Or your parents? No, I suspect not. I am like you in that respect. My creation was not my choice, nor did I choose my progenitor. The research on copies this university conducts is to discover the lifespan, life cycle, and healing of copies. Research into copies also aids in understanding how the human body works, increasing our knowledge of problems such as infertility and birth defects. Many of these problems are incurable by magical means."

"That's a bit self serving. And hypocritical. You use this place's research to benefit yourself." Albus glowered.

"But not at the expense of another's life." Rasmus leaned forward and set his teacup on the table. "My suggestion is that you visit a healer. If you wish a longer, healthier life, then there are ways to do it non-magically, with proper diet and exercise." Before he could withdraw his hand, Albus moved, catching Rasmus's wrist in a surprisingly tight grip. The man's eyes flashed red as his hand burned.

Rasmus snatched his hand back and quickly looked at his wrist as a blackened brand faded quickly. His unbalanced teacup crashed to the floor.

"I'll consider that an attack sir," Rasmus said coldly as Paul entered.

"What? I didn't touch you," Albus said haughtily and gathered his papers together. "You've thouroughly wasted my time. I'll be taking my leave now."

Suddenly a swirl of black mist rose around the portly man. When it cleared, he was gone.

"Ras - what happened?" Paul asked.

"He did something to me," Rasmus pulled his sleeve back, inspecting his wrist. There was no mark, but something had changed.

"I don't see anything."

"I'll try to sketch it out," Rasmus said and went to his desk, found a piece of paper and pencil. He worked quickly before he forgot and shook his head halfway through. His head had begun to pound. He slid the paper to Paul and sank into his seat.

"Its a scribble, Ras..."

"What do you mean?"

Paul held the paper up.

Opening his mouth, Rasmus stared at the unintelligible blob of smudge. "I can't remember it anymore." He put his hands to his head. "I want him found, Paul. Please, find him. He's done something to me."

The dark-haired man nodded nervously. "You don't look well."

"I don't feel well," Rasmus said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk, head in his hands. "Go start the search. You remember what he looked like, right?"

"Yes. You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes. I'm ...going to go home."

"Okay. Call if you need anything."

Rasmus nodded and did not look up as Paul left, hurrying off to start the search.

Getting to his feet, Rasmus swayed and called his teleport. Staggering into it, he tripped over his coffee table and landed on the floor. The world went dark.

...

...

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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Arriving at her altar beneath the wide spread of Flagoon's branches, Sylphiel looked up at the great tree and sighed. "Flagoon," she whispered. "What do I do? I... I wish Rasmus would take care of himself, but he just won't and I fear how long he's going to last if he keeps doing this..."

She knelt before her altar, a stone table carved along the sides with reliefs of Flagoon's branches, adorned with leaves and flowers, Sylphiel set out the tools for her daily ritual, which she pulled out of a cubby at the base of the table. It was an ingenious hidden hinge that was invisible except to those who know where to press to unlock it. Yet another gift from Rasmus. She pretended to not know that its design and creation hadn't been his, but she couldn't help but smile every time she ran her hands across the beautiful piece. Tears stung her eyes this time, though as she also recalled the kiss she had stolen from him earlier. "Why did I have to fall in love with such an idiot?" she asked, head bowed.

She set out her bowl for incense and stuck a stick of it upright into the center of the sand. Igniting a fire spell between her hands, she lit the end of the stick and sat back on her heels, hands going to her lap as she closed her eyes to concentrate on the pulsing light within her. While she knew that the seed Flagoon had given her had long since been broken down by her body, the seed of power that remained in her core was just as bright as ever, pulsing with life. Proof that she was claimed by the tree as it's High Priestess. She supposed it was long past time since she had initiated more shrine maidens into service of the tree, but currently, Flagoon didn't seem to want anyone but her, and she selfishly left things as they were. _'At least I'm special to someone.'_ Though she knew that thought was wrong. Miss Lina and Mister Gourry loved her. So did Miss Amelia and Mister Zelgadis. Yet it still hurt to see them paired up and happy. Although Zelgadis seemed to pretend that he wasn't dating Amelia.

_'Maybe it's a trait the Graywords men share? This pretending to be uninterested in relationships...?'_

She felt a pulse of light emanate from Flagoon's seed within her; as close to a hug as the tree could give her. "Flagoon," she whispered, "You brought Rasmus here for a reason... His presence in the other side of the Mirror was not that great an imbalance... So why?"

Something splashed, and Sylphiel opened her eyes, looking towards the Mirror, watching as a man with long black hair struggled to swim through the water, towards the base of the tree. She stood. "Sir - please come out of there! This is a holy place! Sir!" she called even as the man ignored her.

Fully clothed still, he climbed out of the Mirror and stepped up to Flagoon's main trunk, pressed his hand against it, then splashed back into the water, swimming back across to the shore. Instantly, Sylphiel felt ill, like something black had invaded her being. In her moment of distraction, the man reached the shore and ran away.

Sylphiel wrung her hands as she stared up at Flagoon as she traced the source of the ill feeling in her gut. "What happened?" she asked, "Why do you feel like this? What's wrong?"

Flagoon's presence withdrew almost completely from her and she suddenly felt cold. "Flagoon! Please tell me what's wrong!" Sylphiel cried, suddenly terrified by the Holy Tree's abandonment of her.

"It can't, because it doesn't know."

A thrill went up her spine at the sound of that familiar voice and Sylphiel turned, only to accidently sit on her shrine in shock, nearly knocking into the bowl and incense, which had burnt down and gone out.

Rezo approached calmly, indigo eyes gazing up at Flagoon as he walked. A black strip of cloth fluttered in his hand.

"That's Miss Lina's headband!" Sylphiel recognized, standing, "What've you done do her?"

Lifting his hand, he looked at the offending item. "Absolutely nothing. She was attacked by another and is currently chasing him. I am simply holding onto this as evidence."

"Evidence?" Sylphiel shook her head to clear it. "You're dead. How are you here?"

"I have no idea. Apparently I came out of a jar," Rezo chuckled softly as he gazed at her. "Your shirt. What color is it?"

Startled, she opened her mouth, then closed it again before finding her voice. "Purple."

"Beautiful." He smiled. "And these are leaves," he looked up at Flagoon. "They are green, correct?"

"Yes... Does Rasmus know you're here?" she asked softly, a cold feeling in her gut. _'He's going to be very upset...'_

"Yes. He was not very pleased. But, I believe we can come to an agreement of some kind eventually," Rezo said, then looked towards her again. "You said Flagoon is not feeling well, correct?"

Sylphiel nodded. "It was just recently though."

"Did you see a man?"

"He was swimming in the Mirror," she said, unable to keep her disapproval from her voice.

"Did he touch you?"

"No. Why?"

"I'm working on a theory," Rezo mused and closed his eyes, turning towards Flagoon again. "Levitation," he murmured and glided across the lake surrounding Flagoon's base and came to rest on a root that had lifted from the ground, arching gracefully above the water.

Sylphiel flushed and quickly put her offering bowl away before she followed, landing on the root behind him. She nearly lost her balance, but without looking, Rezo caught her arm and steadied her. The feel of his hand made her face flame, and only the fact that he wasn't looking saved her from further embarrassment.

The Red Priest hmmed softly as he considered the tree. "There's a foreign mark on it," he said finally. "I cannot fathom what this mark's purpose is, but it seems to be causing the tree distress." He turned to look down at Sylphiel. "With your leave, High Priestess, I will investigate the source and configuration of this spell and remove it."

Heart lifting, Sylphiel smiled, "You would? I- yes, please! Flagoon is very unhappy. This thing - it's cold. Like the touch of a corpse."

Rezo nodded. "I will either be here or..." he paused with a frown. "I no longer have a lab."

"I'm sure one of the researchers at the university would be glad to let you use their room," Sylphiel said. "Most of them are very nice people."

"I would still need to ask Rasmus."

Sylphiel's heart sank, her gaze going to their reflection in the water. Lifting her hands, she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'll ask him," she said, turning to look into Rezo's beautiful indigo eyes again, "He won't say no to me."

"So you're aware..." He closed his mouth.

Flushing, Sylphiel looked away again. "Its not your business."

"I suppose it isn't," Rezo bowed slightly, "Forgive my intrusion." Straightening, he said, "Miss Inverse was going to show me somewhere I might rent for the duration of my stay in Sairaag, but she seems to have been distracted."

"You may stay with me, Lord Rezo. It's no imposition."

Rezo took a breath and let it out slowly. "I appreciate-"

"I insist. Rasmus can choke on it if he wants. I won't tiptoe around his self pity," Sylphiel stared hard up at Rezo, daring him to go against her.

He bowed again, chuckling. "Then I would be honored, High Priestess Raada." He turned back towards the tree, eyes closed as he said, "I'm beginning to understand the shape of it, I believe. If you don't mind I would like to study the mark more closely."

"Of course. I'll come get you an hour before sunset," Sylphiel said. Levitating across the Mirror again, she landed on the bank near her altar and turned to look at the water and her reflection in it. "Why did you get the smart one?"

...

...

"Sylphiel!" Lina called, jogging down the street towards her friend.

Shifting her shopping basket to her other arm, Sylphiel smiled. "You're all right."

"Of course I am! What made you think otherwise?"

"Rezo said you were attacked. He had your headband."

Lina touched her forehead and the black smudge between the two dots on her brow. "Yeah. Glad he picked it up. I reckon it saved my life! Again."

"Did you catch the one who did it?" Sylphiel asked hopefully.

Lina spread her hands. "Nope. He disappeared! I'll find him though. No one gets away with hitting me!"

"He put some kind of mark on Flagoon too," Sylphiel said. "Rezo is researching it now." She shifted her basket again, "He's staying with me for now."

Gourry leaned in, looking at her basket, as he asked, "You sure about that? Rasmus'll probably get mad."

"Let him," Sylphiel huffed.

"Hey, Rezo said something I thought you should know," Lina said, "You know the path and park? He said that was probably a gift to you."

Sylphiel shook her head, "I'd figured. He at least knows I wouldn't have accepted that kind of money spent on me alone."

Lina sighed, shoulders sagging, "I just don't get you, Syl! What's the problem? You said before-"

Lifting her hand, Sylphiel shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it here," she glanced around at the crowd. Though it didn't seem that anyone was listening. Sylphiel turned and started walking towards her house in town, Lina and Gourry following. Lina somehow managed to hold her peace until they got inside.

"You said before you don't hate him anymore!" Lina stomped her foot as soon as the front door to Sylphiel's quaint townhouse closed behind her.

Heading through the front hall, Sylphiel stepped into the kitchen and set her basket down. "I don't."

Following, Lina folded her arms, "So what's the problem?"

Sylphiel looked down at her hands as she rested them on the edge of the counter.

Gourry pulled out a chair at the small kitchen table and sat down, resting an elbow on the table. "I think I know," he said.

The two women turned to look at him.

"It's because he won't tell her how he feels," Gourry nodded sagely. "Giving a girl pretty things is one thing, but actually saying it is something else." He looked up at Lina's shocked expression, "Like I could give you flowers or something, but they eventually get thrown away. But if I said I love you, that'd stick with you."

Lina's face turned bright red.

Sylphiel nodded. "That's exactly it," she smiled sadly at Gourry. "Thank you."

He turned to her and grinned. "It's no problem!"

Lina took several breaths in quick succession and refrained from slapping the back of Gourry's head. "But what about having Rezo stay with you? Are you trying to make him make a move? Or make him run away from you forever? He's still really hung up about the whole thing, I think."

Sylphiel began putting her groceries away. "If Rasmus thinks I'm the type of woman to change affections so easily... well he obviously doesn't know me."

Gourry pondered this for a moment, "Why does Rasmus have such a problem with Rezo?"

Smacking her forehead with her palm, Lina sighed. "It's complicated, Gourry."

"What if we made them be friends?" Gourry insisted.

Gaping at Gourry, Lina stared, "You know - maybe that actually is a good idea? If Ras isn't jealous of Rezo, then maybe he'll quit avoiding you."

"He doesn't avoid me," Sylphiel sighed, a flush coloring her cheeks. "I'm practically tripping over him daily. He's got this... poor puppy expression when I pretend to have not seen him." Putting her bread into its box, she smiled, "It's so cute." Her joy faded quickly, and Sylphiel asked, "But isn't it wrong? He murdered my family and friends in a temper tantrum."

"But he paid for that with his life. He would still be dead if the gods hadn't intervened," Lina said, coming around the table to put her arm around Sylphiel's shoulders. "He's a completely different person now. I've been keeping an eye on him. And so have you. He hasn't stepped a toe out of line once. He's become respected and everyone in town loves him."

"I know," the dark-haired girl sighed. "I know. He really has become wonderful. He's done a lot for Sairaag. In the latest city council meeting he proposed a public library! He wants to put copies of everything in it. _Everything_. And it'll be for everyone, and everyone in town can actually go use it because everyone in Sairaag is able to read now." Her hands trembled. "But I do wish he'd do something that's just for me. Something that's just mine alone." She put her hands to her face. "I'm so confused, Miss Lina. I want him to keep giving to the community but I don't want to share him."

She dropped her hands to look at Lina, "But he makes me so mad too! Because when anyone else is around, he acts like I'm not there. Like he doesn't want anyone to know that he... It's at those times that I'm not even sure if he really... And then I say awful things to hurt him just to make him speak to me. I'm a terrible person, Miss Lina."

Lina sighed, "So that's why you called him that?"

Tears trembled on Sylphiel's lashes as she struggled not to cry. "Yes. I shouldn't have. It wasn't very nice of me and I knew it hurt him the moment I said it but I couldn't take it back. I wish he'd get over me. He deserves to be happy and all I do is hurt him."

"I doubt he will," Lina said.

In the distance, the university bell tower sounded.

"Oh, I need to go get Rezo," Sylphiel said. "I meant to go ask Rasmus about Rezo using one of his research labs, but..." She flushed, sucking her lips in.

Lina snorted, "Ras's been kinda a jerk today. I understand." She patted Sylphiel's shoulder. "Gourry and I should get going. There's a bard in town I wanted to hear, so I'll see you later."

"Okay." Wiping her eyes, Sylphiel embraced Lina, then Gourry. "Thank you for listening to me."

"You're our friend!" Gourry said, hugging her. "I just wish I was smarter so I could tell you how to fix it."

Sylphiel laughed softly, "You're smart enough, Gourry dear."

"See you later," Lina said and hauled Gourry out the front door by his sleeve.

Quickly putting the rest of her groceries away, Sylphiel headed back towards Flagoon. The Holy Tree already felt worse than before. It worried her. Approaching the tree, she found Rezo standing at the base of the main trunk, his hands up, framing a spot, glowing.

Levitating across the Mirror to join him, Sylphiel landed and waited patiently until he lowered his hands and opened his eyes.

"I've determined the shape of the seal that was used, but its configuration is nothing like what I've encountered before. I'll need to research it more. Did you ask Rasmus about the use of one of his labs?"

"I didn't see him," Sylphiel said, voice trembling at her partial lie. She had not seen him, but she also hadn't gone looking. "I'll ask him in the morning. It's almost time for dinner and I need to cook it still."

Rezo nodded. "I believe I've gotten all I can from the tree itself for now."

Together, they levitated back to the shore and began walking back to Sylphiel's town house in silence.

"Do you know what the mark does?" Sylphiel asked.

"It appears to be draining the tree's power. Like a tap on a maple. As the tree pulls power through itself, the mark siphons it off. But where the power goes, I don't know."

Sylphiel shivered.

"There are parts of the mark I almost understand, but the whole of it, no. I'll need to research it."

They spent the rest of the walk in silence and Sylphiel tried to ignore the looks she and her companion got. _'Rasmus is going to hear about this. There's no way he won't.'_ She inwardly sighed, wishing she hadn't insisted. _'Here I go hurting him again, just to make him pay attention to me when I already know he's almost creepy with his obsession... There I go being uncharitable again. I'm upset because he doesn't pay attention to me alone, and upset that he does, but not the way I want, and I can't even tell him what I want of him because... He looks at me with those puppy eyes and I just get tongue tied.'_

Sylphiel used her key to open her front door and let Rezo inside. Turning, she smiled up at him. "Well, this is my home," she said awkwardly.

"Its lovely," Rezo said, looking around like had never seen a house before.

She flushed when she realized he hadn't. "Uhm." She turned and headed for the stairs, "This way. I'll show you your room, and where the bathroom is. There's a shower, if you want to use it before dinner." At the top of the stairs, she opened the door to the left of the hall and gestured inside. "Here is the guest bedroom."

Rezo peeked inside, smiling.

Turning, she continued to the end of the hall and opened the bathroom door. Sweeping her hair behind her shoulder as she leaned over to use the shower knob. "You turn it left to make the water hotter and right to make it cooler, pull it up to turn it on." She demonstrated.

Lifting his hand into the spray, Rezo's brows rose. "That is indeed ingenious. What sort of spell does it use?"

"None except the one to keep the heater warm. The rest works on water pressure and a mechanical pump."

"I'd certainly never had an interest in mechanics before, except those involved in golem making," Rezo said appreciatively.

Turning the water off, Sylphiel smiled. "The only problem is that it needs refilling every few days." Flushing as she spoke, she added, "Rasmus wanted to make a city-wide water system that refilled the tanks automatically and took away the used water to a... He called it a water treatment plant. I'm not sure what it is, but he said it was for purifying the water and putting it back into the system. Unfortunately, that would be an extensive project that required a lot of digging under the city. The city council wouldn't approve it."

"If these showers become popular," Rezo said, "He probably will get it done."

Sylphiel gestured for Rezo to proceed her out of the small bathroom. "He said it would also take a lot of money." She took the lead back down the hall. "I'll have dinner ready in an hour." She put on a smile.

Rezo nodded. "I think I'll try the shower."

Her lips parted as she stared at him for a second. Nodding, she fled downstairs, blushing brightly.

...

...

His head hurt as he pushed onto his hands and knees, his whole body trembling.

Sitting back against the couch, Rasmus put his hand to his forehead, then picked at the bit of dried blood that was there. "I knocked myself out," he realized, looking at the corner of the coffee table.

Calling a healing spell to his hand, Rasmus pressed it to his head, easing the ache. A wave of dizziness came over him and he decided to remain where he was for a few moments more before trying to stand. Weaving as he walked, Rasmus made his way to the kitchen and opened the icebox, pulling out one of Sylphiel's bentos. Returning to the couch, he sank down and breathed. "I feel awful... I've never felt like this before."

He looked down at his hands, gaze going to his wrist where the man had branded him. Rolling his sleeve back slightly, Rasmus squinted at his wrist, wondering if it was his imagination or whether his wrist was discolored or not. "I'm imagining things," he said finally and opened the bento. "Sausage octipi! How am I supposed to eat that? It's too cute!"

However, he was too hungry to deny himself the food and quickly ate. Feeling better, he made his way back to the kitchen and washed the box and set it out to dry. "Should find where I put yesterday's... I think I left it on Paul's desk."

Reaching into his sleeve, Rasmus pulled out new robes and headed for the shower.

When he got out, the phone was ringing.

"Yes?" he said as he answered it.

"Crown Prince Kayel of Wytheria is here to see you," Paul said, sounding overly formal.

Pressing his lips together on what he would have said, Rasmus took a breath and answered, "I will be there shortly." Hanging up, he quickly combed and braided his hair, picked up one of his belts from the floor and put it on. Activating his teleport, he stepped into it and stumbled against his desk, clutching the edge of it as the world spun. Closing his eyes tightly, he focused on breathing and staying upright. Now was not the time to collapse. Using the desk as a prop, he moved around behind it and sank into his chair. Only when he opened his eyes did he finally notice that he was not alone in his office.

A man stood on the other side of his desk, nostrils flared as he looked down his horsey nose. "Disgraceful," he said.

Rasmus could only shrug, "I seem to have caught something. I hope that you'll forgive me. I was supposed to be resting this week."

The man snorted. His younger brother, Marron, looked nothing like the broad-shouldered, horse-faced man standing before Rasmus.

"Please, sit," Rasmus gestured. "I'm assuming this visit is in regards to Marron." He glanced at Paul as the man promptly delivered the oft-looked at file on Marron Wytheria.

"_Prince _Marron. You will pay for your crimes, you unnatural abomination," Prince Kayel said coldly. He remained standing.

"Crimes?"

"Theft, followed by defaming my brother's name, then expelling him! We saw through your lies!"

Rasmus folded his hands together on his desk, pondering the situation calmly.

"Have you nothing to say for yourself?" Spittle flew from Kayel's mouth as he stalked forward, slamming his hands on the desk.

"Would you listen if I did?"

"So you admit that you are wrong!"

"Have you stopped beating your wife?"

Kayel stepped back, "I never!"

"Two can play word-twisting games, Prince Kayel. If you wish to discuss this matter in a civilized fashion, then I am willing to do so. But as you've already made up your mind, I hardly see the point. Prince Marron has been expelled for his own behavior. Interventions from professors and myself could not impress upon him that this school is _not_ like his home, and we have certain expectations of how a young man is to comport himself while both on and off school property. We expect young men to be polite in all situations, diplomatic, and above all, responsible for their own actions and duties."

Kayel slammed his hands on Rasmus's desk again. "Marron is a prince of the most noble birth! You accuse him of debauchery and criminal activity!"

"His birth had absolutely nothing to do with his choices. If you find such behavior deplorable, perhaps you should take it up with Prince Marron. I gave the boy three years to learn proper behavior. His actions have begun to reflect poorly upon this school, and as such I could no longer overlook-"

Slamming his hands on the desk again, Kayel shouted, "Enough of your lies! You will pay for this disgrace! You will pay for your theft as well!"

"Theft?"

"Prince Marron discovered one of our precious artifacts that has been missing for three years!"

"This is a research school," Rasmus pointed out, "There are a great many magical relics here under study. I would also like to point out to you that students are generally not allowed in the basement sections of the school, and the irreparable damage Marron inflicted upon one such relic."

"So you admit that you stole the jar!" Kayel jabbed his finger at Rasmus's nose.

"I have never _stolen_ a relic. All such items were purchased or donated through verified sources. If the jar you are speaking of is one that came into our possession six months ago, then you should conduct an investigation to find the true thief. We purchased the jar from a relic collector in town. I will give you the name and address of the shop in question-"

"_You have it_!" Kayel shouted. "You are a thief!"

It was very difficult to keep his temper and Rasmus took a slow breath, counting to five, then released it as he counted to five. "Possession does not equal theft, or is that how your country is run, Prince Kayel? Then are all items purchased from another up for legal action later should the original owner decide they want it back? I honestly feel pity for your subjects if they are constantly under such threats from each other as well as their royal family."

"How dare you insult me!"

"My words are only as insulting as you take them to be, Prince Kayel. Perhaps you should do a proper investigation before resorting to rash actions."

Rasmus mused on this.

"Your insolence will be punished! How dare you question my decisions and my actions! I have brought by family's greatest treasure - the Machina. I will begin the attack on this pit of sin at noon tomorrow. This blasphemous institution and the city that encourages its festering disease will be rubble when I am done with it!" Kayel spat on Rasmus's desk, then pushed off, stalking out the door. He paused at Paul's desk and, screaming, swept everything from it to the floor. He continued out to the hall. Paul lept up and ran after to escort the man out.

Putting his hands to his face, Rasmus rubbed his eyes and rested his elbows on the desk.

"He can't be serious."

Lowering his hands, Rasmus looked up to find Paul stepping into his office, looking harried. "He didn't cause any more damage on his way out, at least..."

"I'm fairly sure he was," Rasmus said calmly.

"What are we going to do?"

Taking a tissue from the box in his drawer, Rasmus wiped the spit off his desk. "Destroy his toy, of course."

"What are you going to destroy?" Sylphiel asked as she entered.

Rasmus looked up, feeling the blood drain from him as Rezo stepped in behind Sylphiel, looking around casually. Forcing his lips to smile, he looked to Sylphiel again. "The Crown Prince of Wytheria has determined that I am a liar and will begin destroying the city at noon tomorrow. I was merely discussing removing the problem."

Sylphiel gasped, hands covering her mouth.

"I assure you, he will not harm Sairaag, Lady Sylphiel," Rasmus said coldly. "I do not take such threats lightly." He gathered himself and stood. The room swayed and he steadied himself with a hand on the desk. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave, I have important matters to consider."

"What is that on your wrist?"

Rasmus looked to Rezo as the Red Priest stepped closer. Reaching out, he grabbed Rasmus's hand, pulling him off balance and Rasmus nearly fell across his desk.

"This- it's the same."

"What-?" Sylphiel's voice was small, "You mean- like the one on Flagoon?"

Finding his strength, Rasmus pulled his hand from Rezo's grip and scowled at him.

Rezo said as he opened his eyes, "Yes. It's the same. And is having the same effect."

Sylphiel's horrified look stilled Rasmus's words before he could speak. Paul asked, "What is it? What effect?"

"Someone marked Flagoon with a leach-seal," Rezo said. "As well as Rasmus. I begin to wonder if others have been marked as well. As for the effect - it leaches power every time the subject uses magic." He closed his eyes and looked at Rasmus again. "And given that Rasmus was created magically, it is working on him fairly fast."

Straightening, Rasmus forced his panic down and hated himself even as he asked, "Can you remove it?" Sylphiel stared at him in shock. He looked away. "I can't see it."

"I need to research it more," Rezo said.

Mouth twisting downwards, Rasmus said, "Lab eighteen is not in use, requisition whatever you need. Paul, you are to assist him in whatever capacity he requires."

Rezo turned to Paul, "Where is your library?"

"This way," Paul said and immediately strode off, Rezo following.

Sinking to his seat again, Rasmus stared at his desk.

"Ras..." Sylphiel said softly. She crept forward.

Standing again, Rasmus said, "I need to ascertain what kind of threat Wytheria's Machina is."

Sylphiel caught his arm as he moved towards the door. "You shouldn't use your magic." He was sure she could feel his trembling, but he couldn't take his arm from her. He couldn't look at her.

"I swore that no harm would come to Sairaag again."

Her fingers tigthened, "Rasmus!" her voice broke slightly, "You might die..."

"Rezo's here. It'll be fine."

"If you're meaning that he can just _replace_ you, you're wrong."

Rasmus closed his eyes. "I can't simply stand back and let the city be destroyed."

"Miss Lina would help..."

"I'm sure she would," Rasmus said. He felt her fingers sliding down his hand. His heart picked up as her had drew closer to his. But she released him, letting his arm drop to his side. He clenched his fist, set his jaw and headed out the door. Normally, he would have teleported, but all things considered, it was probably not a good idea.

...

...

AN:

Enjoying this story? Then try out my original series! It's a space opera with an entirely alien cast who think humans are a myth! It's awesome. :3

natanfleetshow(dot) com

smashwords(dot) com(slash) profile(slash) view(slash) KEIreland


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Trembling, Sylphiel watched as Rasmus walked away from her.

She was startled when a tear suddenly rolled down her cheek, falling into the crease of her tightly pressed lips. Lifting her hands to her face, she tried to press the tears back, but as she drew a breath, it caught in her throat.

Rasmus stopped at the door and turned, looking back where she stood near his desk still. She gasped for air, wiping at her face with both hands, but it did nothing to stop her tears. He opened his mouth, hand lifting. Closing his mouth, he licked his lips then took a breath. "Sylphiel. It's going to be okay. I'll protect Sairaag with my life. I promise. I will not let anyone destroy this place again."

She shook her head, unable to speak.

"Please believe me," Rasmus begged softly, "I will stop Kayel even if it kills me. Sairaag will be safe."

Unable to get enough breath, Sylphiel sobbed as she lowered her hands, looking at him, heart torn as he turned away again. He was completely out of her sight when she found her voice again.

"But I don't want you to die..."

Wiping her face, Sylphiel swallowed and looked up as the bell tower sang. "I'm late," she realized. Taking a trembling breath, she tried to compose herself, then headed for the doors. She needed to get to the hospital and check on her patients. On the first floor, she joined a throng of students as they headed for their second morning class. She choked on the idea of caring for someone else when Rasmus was...

"Dying... He's going to die if Rezo can't find a way to remove the mark..."

She pressed her hands to her mouth as she realized she had spoken aloud and she wasn't alone. Sylphiel quickly glanced at the students that crowded the hall around her. Ducking her head, she made for the front door, hurrying to escape the press. In the courtyard, she slowed again. "I can't let him go out there alone," Sylphiel decided. "I'll make sure Miss Lina knows about this. In case he didn't go ask her." She sighed. "It'd be just like him too. Just hare off on his own. Stupid stubborn man!"

She headed west, across town, wondering if Rasmus's choice of location for the Hospital had been deliberate, since it put a good portion of the city between them during the day. Not that it stopped him from showing up at the hospital at random hours. _'He can also teleport... Normally.'_ The only way the hospital could have been further away was if it had been built where the Library was going to go.

Entering the front door of the hospital, she went directly to her office. Closing the door briefly, she took several deep breaths and slapped her cheeks. "I have to concentrate on work now. I can't worry about Rasmus being stupid..." Tears stung her eyes, "He really doesn't care if he dies..." Going to the sink, she quickly washed her face, then tied her hair back into a quick tail. "Work!" she told her reflection. "Work is important now."

Turning away, she opened her office door and went to the front desk.

"Lady Sylphiel," Kyle said as he hurried to her, "Five people have collapsed. No obvious causes of illness."

"Where?"

He turned and headed back the way he had come, Sylphiel on his heels as they made their way towards the isolation ward in the western wing of the building. She paused at the door to put on a mask and gloves before entering the room. As Kyle had said, there were five people in the room, lined up on beds against one wall. None of them were moving. It was with a sick heart that she realized they were all wearing C&CRU uniforms. Sylphiel moved closer, putting her hand against one's forehead, then leaned in to listen. "Kyle," she said softly, "This one has died."

Kyle nodded and pulled the cover over the young man as Sylphiel moved to the next patient. This young girl was breathing still, but only barely. The next was also still alive. The last two were dead. "Put them in bags and have them sent immediately to the university. Tell them lab eighteen."

"You know what this is?"

"I'm fairly sure," Sylphiel said softly. "Lord Rezo will be able to verify." She stepped out of the room, pulling Kyle with her and closed the door before removing her mask. "We need to tell everyone to come here immediately if they begin feeling weak or dizy. Find some way to get the word out and get someone to come take care of the bodies. I'll see what I can do for the other two."

Kyle nodded and dashed away.

Pulling her mask back into place, Sylphiel went back into the isolation room.

...

...

Rasmus was almost disappointed that he had found Lina on his first guess.

Entering the seedy tavern, he strode through the shocked and silent patrons to where Lina and Gourry were battling over the last sausage. Spearing it with his fork, Gourry shoved it into his mouth and swallowed before Lina could protest. "That was mine, Gourry!" she shouted, rearing her fist back.

Rasmus grasped her wrist, forestalling her punch.

Turning, she looked up at him. "Oh - didn't expect you to actually come to _me_! I haven't forgotten what you said!" she wagged a finger at him.

"I need to speak with you privately," Rasmus said flatly.

Lina stared at his face for a moment, then lowered her arm as he released it. "...Sure, I guess," she said slowly. Getting up, she tossed some money on the table and followed Rasmus as he left. Gourry staggered over his chair as he tried to catch up, and took a spot on Rasmus's left while Lina walked to his right. "So what's up?"

"Not here," Rasmus said and continued until they had reached the path to Flagoon. Here, he stopped and sat on one of the benches lining the path.

Folding her arms, Lina scowled at him, "Okay, what the hell is up? You're acting all serious - more than usual."

"I expelled a student a few days ago, and now his older brother is bringing some kind of weapon here to flatten Sairaag."

"Wow," Gourry said, "That's a little extreme, isn't it?"

Lina nodded, "Yeah. Maybe he's kidding?"

"I don't know. I need someone to go out and check, though."

Opening her mouth, Lina stared at him, then said, "Wait. You- you're asking me to go out and check, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Lina lifted her chin as she stared down her nose at him.

"Because I'm fairly sure I'm being watched. We have until noon tomorrow. Unless the guy lied. Which I don't know if he did or not."

"And what do I do if I find whatever it is?"

"Destroy it."

Lina chuckled and cracked her knuckles.

"Preferably without causing damage to the city, Lina. Please? I - it would hurt Sylphiel."

Sighing and rolling her eyes, Lina said, "Yeah, yeah. I won't make a mess." Lifting a finger, she shoved it at his nose as she leaned in, "On one condition!"

Eyes widening, he looked from her finger to her face.

"You will give Sylphiel a gift you made yourself. Just for her." Lina almost burst out laughing as his cheeks colored. "Is it a deal or no, Ras?"

"D..deal," he said in a very soft voice. He hung his head as she withdrew her finger.

"All right! I'll get working on it then!" Turning to Gourry, Lina grabbed his arm, "Levitation!"

Rasmus looked up, watching as she went. _'Wish I could have just done it myself... Cephied - a gift? What do I give her?'_ He looked down at his right hand, then pushed his sleeve up slightly. It wasn't his imagination, the skin of his wrist had begun to darken. _'I need to do it quickly, whatever I make her...'_

Standing, he had to pause as a wave of dizziness washed over him. He turned and started back towards the school. He brooded the entire walk, and upon entering his office, went to his desk. Pulling out several sheets of paper, he tore them in half, writing his ideas on each of them before going to his wall and tacking them there. Returning to his desk, he took his darts from his drawer and turning to face the wall, closed his eyes.

The first dart hit the wall and bounced away. He threw the next dart more firmly. It thumped into the wall and stuck. He stuck the third dart and bounced the fourth. The fifth suck.

"Brainstorming at a time like this?" Paul asked.

Opening his eyes, Rasmus turned to look at his friend. "I made a deal with the devil." Going to the wall, he found his three stuck darts had selected Flagoon, Jewelry, and Magic. Picking all the papers off the wall and retrieving his darts, Rasmus returned to his desk.

"What devil would this be? And what deal?"

"Lina Inverse, and I'd rather not talk about it."

Paul winced. "She does have a way of manipulating you, I've noticed..."

"I can't go check out the threat myself, and in order to keep her from destroying the landscape, I agreed to do something." Rasmus stared at the three pieces of paper and sighed. "I still can't come up with anything." Looking to Paul, he asked, "Why are you up here? Is Rezo finished?"

"No. I just came for the records on our mage students. Rezo's going to look for anyone else who may have been marked."

"Right," Rasmus said. "Of course it's a good idea."

Paul shook his head. "We'll get this figured out in time, Ras. Just try not to use any magic."

"I'll try, but if Lina needs help..."

"I doubt she will. She's the Enemy to All Who Live."

"Don't let her hear you call her that."

Paul laughed. "Cephied - I'm not suicidal!" He turned and headed for the filing cabinet in the corner of Rasmus's office. "Why don't you take a walk?"

Rasmus nodded and put the papers down. "I'm utterly useless here anyway."

Paul opened his mouth, then sighed as Rasmus wandered out of the office.

...

...

Rasmus stared up at Flagoon, squinting against a shaft of light that flickered through the branches. The Holy Tree had certainly grown over the last four years. It was well over two hundred feet tall now, and likely to get much larger before the end of the year. It certainly didn't resemble the sapling it was when Sylphiel had planted it on a small island in the center of the Mirror.

"Fucking useless," he said softly hands dangling at his sides. "Of course I had to get marked. Now all I can do is stand here and let Rezo fix everything. Redundant and useless."

A breeze wafted through the branches of the tree, shifting the shaft of light from his eyes. He lowered his gaze to the Mirror, then stepped closer as he realized that the branches he saw were not a reflection, but Mirrored.

His breath caught as he approached and dropping to his kees at the edge of the water, he looked down at Syl where she was reflected from the other side. She smiled brightly and waved. Pushing his lips into a smile, he waved back.

Lifting her left hand, she pointed at the sparkling ring on her finger.

Rasmus nodded. "I know." He held up his fingers, indicating how many days until her wedding.

She grinned broadly with an energetic nod. Syl pointed at herself, then him, and back to her ring, tilting her head quizzically.

"No," Rasmus shook his head.

Syl frowned, her mouth moving. He guessed she had asked why not. Wishing sound carried through the Mirror, Rasmus shook his head and spread his hands, "Complicated."

She wasn't pleased by the answer, but getting anything further from him was impossible. Instead she pointed to herself, made a heart with her fingers and thumbs, then pointed to him.

Unable to help it, Rasmus smiled and repeated the gesture. "I love you too. I'm glad I got to see you one last time."

Syl pointed at Flagoon and made a gesture. Unable to understand what she had meant, Rasmus spread his hands with a shake of his head. She pointed at Flagoon again, then rubbed her stomach, hand over her mouth.

"Sick?" He looked up at Flagoon, then back at her, then nodded. "Complicated," he said, "Working on it."

She pointed at him and made the sick gesture.

Rasmus drew a breath to lie, but her look stalled him. He nodded. Pointing at Flagoon, then himself, he repeated the sick gesture.

Syl's mouth moved slowly and he watched. "Same thing? Yes," he nodded.

Her expression became worried. Turning away briefly, she picked something up, then reached into the water.

Rasmus placed his hand over top of hers, his fingers brushing against hers and something fell into his palm. Taking it, he opened his hand and looked from the seed he held to Syl. She motioned her hand to her mouth.

"You're kidding, right?"

She made the motion again, then cupped some water in her hand and drank.

Deciding to trust her, Rasmus put the seed in his mouth, then washed it down with a swallow of water from the Mirror. When he felt no different after, he shrugged. Syl just smiled at him approvingly. Placing both her hands on the surface of the Mirror, she smiled.

Reaching out, he covered her hands with his. "I miss you," he said. He could feel the warmth of her palms against his; her hands were tiny in comparison. Syl shook her head, mouth moving, but he couldn't decipher her words. She stopped when she realized he hadn't followed anything she had said. Shaking her head again, she removed her hands and reached behind her again. Lifting a book into his view, she held it so he could see it clearly, then held up what looked like the cloak Rasmus had left with David when they had parted. She put the book into the subspace pocket of the cloak.

Grinning as he understood, Rasmus reached into his sleeve, searching for the book. He pulled one book out, frowned at it and set it aside as it was the wrong one. "Forgot that was in there..." He pulled another book out. It was also the wrong one, but he flipped through it and decided to put it in the library when he got back to the university. Syl was silently laughing. His fingers encountered another book when he went searching again. Pulling it out, he looked at Syl as she clapped excitedly. Opening it, he found that it was blank.

Holding out her hands, Syl gestured for the book.

"I see. You were testing to see if I could get it first." He took out a pen and quickly wrote in the book. _'I've missed you and David terribly. I'm happy things have gone well between you.'_ He put the book back into his subspace pocket and waited a moment while Syl dug around in the cloak and pulled the book out. Reading, she smiled at him and wrote. She wrote for quite some length before sending the book back to him.

Pulling it out, he opened it and read.

_'David started feeling ill yesterday. We couldn't figure out what was wrong, and then Flagoon told me it wasn't feeling well either. What's wrong? What's going on over there? I don't know why Flagoon had me give you that seed to swallow, but I'm sorry it didn't make you feel better. You look terrible, though! Why aren't you and Sylphiel together?'_

He pondered for a time before carefully writing in response. _'A creature that steals energy marked me and Flagoon. We're working on removing the mark. All will be well shortly. I've been the Dean of the university since I got here. Riding herd on a bunch of crazy professors, a flock of children of practically every social status there is, and running all the projects I've started to improve Sairaag as well as the university has been stressful. I'll be all right, though.'_ He stopped for a second, considering what to write about Sylphiel, then decided to just tell the truth. _'Sylphiel simply isn't interested in me. I'm hesitant to push anything with her. She tolerates my presence in this world. It's probably the best I'll get.'_

Placing the book back into his sleeve, he waited while Syl pulled the book and read. She frowned at him and shook her head firmly. She wrote something with vigor and shoved it into the subspace pocket again.

Rasmus pulled the book and opened it to large print; _'QUIT DITHERING.'_

He opened his mouth, then closed it as he gazed at Syl. She gave him a firm look, planting her fists on her hips. She gestured for the book. He sent it back to her, then retrieved it when she finished writing and returned it. _'You were so bold when you met ME. Show her - TELL her how you feel!'_

Swallowing, Rasmus gazed down at Syl as she put her fists on her hips again and gave him that stern look. Taking a breath, he wrote in the book. _'I ...Lina ... told me to give Sylphiel a gift. Something for her alone. Suggestions?'_

He sent the book back.

Syl pondered after she read what he had written, then wrote and sent the book back.

_'Lina told you to give her a gift? Maybe Lina knows something you don't? Give her something for her hair.'_

Immediately, an image popped into Rasmus's mind as he read that. He smiled and wrote, _'Thank you. Do you think Flagoon would donate some wood to me for it?'_

When she got the book back and Syl read it, she laughed. Something snapped and Rasmus yelped as a hard object smacked into his head and fell into the water next to him. It was the end of a branch with a few of Flagoon's leaves still clinging to it and the bud of a flower. Picking it up, he looked at it, then nodded. "Perfect. More than perfect."

Syl smiled and wrote in the book, then sent it to him. _'You'll show it to me when you're done with it?'_

Rasmus pondered the logistics of that. What he had in mind would take at least an hour to make. He wrote, _'What if we sent a camera through? You can give me pictures of your wedding that way too? I wish I could be there.'_

When Syl sent the book back, she had written, _'Yes, that's a wonderful idea! We're having the wedding beneath Flagoon at 4, but I'll send pictures to you in the book when we get them. I'm sorry. I have to go now. I love you, Rasmus.'_

He quickly wrote, _'I love you too, Syl. Say Hi to David for me? Stay safe.'_

When he sent the book back, he blew a kiss to her.

She returned the blown kiss, then put her palms to the surface of the Mirror. He covered her hands with his. Rasmus sighed as he found himself sitting with his hands in cold water, looking at his own reflection. Sitting back, he looked up at Flagoon. "Does Lina know something about Sylphiel I don't? Or is she being meddling?" He curled his toes in his boots. "No, Lina wouldn't be that mean," he decided, "She's violent and ill tempered, but she wouldn't be that mean."

Taking the piece of branch, Rasmus considered the F-shaped bit of wood. "A comb," he said, "Will need a preservation spell on it, maybe I can force that bud to open." He pondered, "Emeralds and diamonds and silver." Nodding, he got to his feet and went to the altar to use it as a work station. He could make the gift here just as well as he could at his apartment. "Probably have more uninterrupted time here," he snorted, remembering that he probably would have been called at least six times by now if he had been home. Reaching into his subspace pocket, Rasmus pulled out some tools and began working on everything he could before having to use his magic to finish it.

...

...

AN:

You get a chapter early because I'm going to be busy tomorrow.

Go look at my books on Smashwords! You can download free samples! smashwords(dot) com(slash) profile(slash) view(slash) KEIreland

:D


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Lina sighed as she dropped Gourry to the ground and landed next to him, wiping a hand across her brow, pausing as she missed her headband once again. It was weird not having it. "Gourry, you seriously need to learn levitation. I can't carry you around like that all the time!"

Looking up from adjusting his sword belt, Gourry blinked at her. "But, Lina... Last time you tried to teach me something you destroyed the town and knocked me unconscious for a week."

"What? You remember that?"

"It made an impression..." he rubbed his head.

"Okay. You're right." She rolled her eyes. "And that was only a card game. Ugh. Maybe Rasmus'll teach you. HA!" she slapped her hands together, "Perfect! I'll have him do it." Turning away from Gourry, she swung her arms to loosen her muscles as she looked across the field. There was an encampment beside pair of hundred foot tall golems. They stood like sentinels, gleaming in the light of the afternoon sun. Lina squinted, shading her eyes. One was squat-looking and four-legged with what looked like a catapult attached to its back. The other was tall and bipedal with scythe-looking arms. "I need to get closer."

"Lets walk then," Gourry said and started off. "Flying's not so fun hanging from my armpits!"

Only a few moments later, a pair of soldiers came into sight, jogging down the road towards them. The pair came to a precise stop and drew their swords. "Halt! You are not allowed to pass through his Royal Highness Crown Prince Kayel of Wytheria's encampment!"

"Who said anything about passing through?" Lina asked, grinning. "I wanted to talk to him. Y'see. I'm curious about your little pets here," she gestured up at the two golems that stood silent and still as statues above the encampment.

"You are to turn back immediately. No one may approach. If you do not comply you will be put to death as an enemy spy," one of the soldiers said.

"Ohh, isn't that an act of war? Aren't you a little afraid of what Seyruun might do? Sairaag has allies, you know," Lina folded her arms as she looked up at the man.

He pointed his sword at her nose. "You've been warned little girl."

"Fireball."

He and his companion shrieked as they were blasted into the air. Lina dusted her hands and started walking even as more soldiers began running towards her and Gourry.

Gourry drew his sword and dashed ahead, meeting the first guard with a block, then shoved the man's sword aside, slashing him in the abdomen. The man crumpled to the ground, but Gourry had already leapt past him and was on to the next. Lina took a moment to admire. "He may be stupid, but at least he knows his sword work." Deciding to leave him to it, Lina leapt into the air, heading for the catapult golem, landing on it's broad shoulder. Kneeling, she touched it with her hand. "Interesting... But this shouldn't take long," she mused, then stood back. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson blood that flows..." she murmured as she began summoning Shabranigdu's power between her hands.

Below, she could hear Gourry's fight continuing. It didn't sound like the guards were doing very well, they obviously had not expected to be fighting someone physically. They were there to escort the golems and the prince, likely, and nothing else. Lina smirked, "With the power you and I possess!" Leaping off the golem's shoulder, Lina threw her spell, "DRAGON SLAVE!" and let the explosion of it hitting the giant rock-creature's side throw her further from danger, out across the growing mass of fight that Gourry was embroiled in. Casting levitation, Lina squinted down, selected a target zone and cast Fire ball repeatedly. Dropping down, swiftly, she landed feet first on the head of a soldier that was about to stab Gourry in the back, then jumped into the air again with another levitation and shot up towards the second golem, landing on its shoulder.

It moved.

Lifting one scythe of an arm, the golem attempted to shake her off as she knelt to keep her balance. "Crimson blood that flows..." she muttered as she gathered Shabranigdu's power between her palms again. She finished her spell just as the golem used it's head and shoulder in an attempt to squish her like a bug, since it could not raise its arms high enough to scrape her off. "DRAGON SLAVE!" she cast again and kicked off, aiming her spell right into the golem's neck. The blast threw her away from it and she caught herself with a levitation.

Something stone, and swiftly moving swept out, slapping her from the sky like a gnat. The breath knocked from her, Lina curled around her side as she sailed over the mass of guards, towards the first golem she had blasted. Landing hard against it's flank, she began tumbling down towards the ground, and grunted in pain when she was caught.

Opening her eyes, she saw Gourry's profile above her and began casting a healing spell on herself as she gasped for air.

"Lina," Gourry said, "Dragon Slaves aren't doing anything to them."

"What?" Lina looked up, blinking as she looked from the scythe-arm to the catapult. "I'll just have to try again!" she said, "Maybe I made a crack."

"I don't think so..." But Gourry let her go as she cast levitation again and took off. He turned back to face the guards he had been sprinting away from in order to give Lina a moment to catch her breath. Lina dodged the scythe-arm as she lifted into the air above the catapult golem. She landed on catapult's shoulder where a bit of black smudge marked where her first Dragon Slave had hit. Looking closer, Lina determined that the Dragon Slave had indeed not even scratched it.

Scowling, Lina dodged aside as the Scythe-arm slashed at her, trying to scrape her off its buddy's back. She dashed towards the center of the golem's broad back and stuck her tongue out at scythe-arm. "Nyah-nyah! You can't get me!"

The Scythe-arm turned its blade downwards and slammed it against the catapult's back, barely missing Lina as she dived aside and rolled to her feet. She turned to look, finding that there was at least a little damage this time, but she didn't have the chance to take advantage of it and cast her Dragon Slave again. Scythe-arm's other arm came around, attempting to sweep her off Catapult's back again. The stone blade crashed against the other golem's back with a crunch and Lina threw herself over the side to avoid getting squished, her Dragon Slave interrupted. Casting levitation, she dived beneath the Catapult, then yelped as she dodged a flight of arrows speeding towards her. Changing her spell to Ray Wing, Lina dived for Gourry and swept him up by the back of his shirt.

"We're retreating, we need back up," she told him.

He panted for several moments as she sped back towards Sairaag with him dangling by the straps of his armor beneath her. "Good! There's too many of them for me to fight off while you're working!"

Lina frowned, glancing back as she spotted the Catapult beginning to trundle forward, the couple hundred men beneath it dashing away from its path as fast as they could. Some were trampled by other guards, and some were stepped on by the golem itself. She winced. "This Kayel guy's a real jerk! Doesn't even get his men out of the way before moving those things!" She looked over to find Scythe-arms moving too, with much the same effect on the poor men gathered around its feet.

Turning forward again, Lina tossed Gourry higher to get a better grip on him before pouring on speed, trying to return to Sairaag before the attack began in order to warn them. "What're we going to do, Lina?" Gourry asked. "Even if we get Rasmus to help, Dragon Slaves aren't working."

"I think they're covered in Orihalcon, which is amazing that they don't resist the golem-spell to make them move. Unless there's a place that's open that I didn't see. Otherwise, a Raagna Blade should cut through it. But I can only cast that once."

Ahead, Sairaag loomed closer, and Lina shook her head. "We'll just need to get Ras the information and see what he comes up with. He's got a whole school full of mages too."

"Oh yeah..." Gourry mused.

As they approached Sairaag, Lina headed for the university, setting Gourry down on the front steps and dropped beside him, panting slightly in pain as she gripped her side. "Those things pack a punch," she said, casting a healing spell on her side again. "You go on in and get Rasmus, I'll go find Sylphiel." Looking up at Gourry, she made eye contact, "You got that?"

"Yeah." He dashed into the building as Lina cast levitation again and headed back across the city to Holy Flagoon Hospital, which was pretty much the exact opposite of where the University was located on the outskirts of town. Why Rasmus had chosen to have it built there, she wasn't sure, except that it was a fairly big building and there wasn't much room for it in the middle of town. She wondered, though, if it hadn't been built far larger than necessary, since most of it was unused. "Unless he expected Sairaag to grow." Lina smiled slightly at that. "High hopes, you have there, Ras." Landing in front of the hospital, Lina dashed into the front doors and met Kyle. "Hey! Where's Sylphiel?" she demanded.

"She's on her shift right now-"

"Where is she?" Lina demanded, lifting her fist at him.

He scowled and turned, "this way," he muttered. Leading the way through the hospital, he stopped at an isolation ward and knocked on the door.

A moment later, Sylphiel stuck her head out. "Oh, Miss Lina!"

"Emergency meeting, now."

"Oh!" She stepped out of the isolation ward fully and quickly removed her mask and gloves and smock, dropping them into a bin just inside the door. "You don't have good news, do you?"

"No. But I don't feel like repeating stuff." Turning, Lina headed back the way she had come, Sylphiel jogging to keep up with her. Once outside, they both cast Levitation and took off, flying across the city swiftly. At the front steps, they landed and entered, just as Gourry, following Rasmus were walking past, heading towards the stairs that led to the basement levels of the building. Rasmus glanced at Lina and Sylphiel, gave a polite nod, and continued to lead the way at a fast, if apparently unhurried clip. The number of students in the hall increased as the bell above rang.

"Dean Rasmus," one student said in greeting.

Rasmus nodded to the student and continued past, cutting off the young man as he was about to say something.

Lina smiled and shrugged as the boy turned to look at them. They reached the stairs to the research labs, and thankfully none of the other students decided that they absolutely had to speak with Rasmus along the way. Glancing at Sylphiel, Lina snorted, finding the woman was staring at Rasmus's back hard. "He's so respected," she whispered to Lina, "and doesn't even notice it."

The short redhead could only shrug in answer as they headed down three flights of stairs and finally down a long hall towards a research lab near the back.

Rasmus opened the door for them and gestured for the others to enter. Figuring this to be her only chance to speak with him, Lina paused and caught his sleeve.

"Do you have it?" Lina asked as Sylphiel and Gourry went into the lab.

Rasmus nodded.

"Let's see it."

He frowned at her. "Now doesn't-"

"Now," she said firmly.

Reaching into his sleeve, Rasmus pulled the comb out of his astral pocket.

Lina's eyes widened.

"I'm guessing this is acceptable?"

"Yeah... How're you going to give it to her?"

"I... haven't figured that out yet." He looked towards the door and quickly put the comb away as Gourry stuck his head out the door.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing." Lina shoved Gourry back into the room and headed in after.

Rasmus closed his eyes briefly and steeled himself before entering and closing the door behind him.

"Fourteen students have been marked," Rezo said. "Five have died so far."

"I've stabilized the others for now, but I don't know how long I can keep them alive," Sylphiel added.

Rezo closed his eyes and looked at Rasmus, frowning slightly. "You seem to have been stabilized as well."

Looking away, Rasmus pondered telling the truth, then decided it was probably best. "I spoke with Syl. She said David was not well, and neither was Flagoon. She gave me one of Flagoon's seeds and had me swallow it."

"David's not okay?" Lina said, rubbing her chin in thought, "Is it passing over the Mirror?"

"It's likely just the fact that David and I shared a body for a time," Rasmus said, "Our souls are more closely connected. Flagoon's spiritual body inhabits both worlds, too. Illness in one body would affect the other."

Lina nodded. "Makes sense."

"She had you swallow a seed?" Sylphiel asked, voice small, eyes wide.

"Yes." He looked at her, then bowed slightly. "I apologize if this offends you."

Sylphiel looked away quickly. "Hardly. It doesn't matter."

Rasmus caught Lina rolling her eyes. Rezo was smiling slightly. "Lina," Rasmus said, "Report. What did you see?"

"Guy's got two golems out there. Big suckers, covered in Orihalcon is my guess. My Dragon Slave didn't make a dent. It's going to take more than one person attacking them," Lina said. "They're each a hundred feet tall or so. One of them looks like it throws big rocks and has four legs. The other has big blades for arms. He's got a couple hundred soldiers there too. I got Scythe-arms to beat up on the catapult some, but it'll probably take a couple of Raagna Blades to bite through that armor. Unless there's a hole somewhere I didn't see."

"So he plans on starting the attack at noon tomorrow with flying rocks," Rasmus said and began to pace.

"I think he's moved up his schedule," Lina said, interrupting. "The golems are on the move. I don't know when they'll be in range to make the attack."

"We'll need to take them out before he makes the attack then. Solution would be to divide our current resources." Turning to look at Rezo, Rasmus said, "You will continue researching the Vampire and destroy it once you've discovered it's whereabouts. Lina, Gourry and I will go make the attack."

Sylphiel stomped her foot, "You're leaving me out of it?"

"No. You're to organize the mage students in protecting themselves. You may also use them as needed to help with those already marked."

She shrank back. "But if you use your magic..."

"I've fallen out of the habit of researching," Rasmus said. "And have more experience in battle." He glanced at Rezo, finding the Red Priest nodding.

"It would also not be possible to have Rasmus take over the project halfway through," Rezo said. "He may not be able to fight the Vampire, marked as he is, either."

Sylphiel lowered her eyes.

"Rezo, what are your findings so far?" Rasmus asked.

"I believe I've discovered a weak link in the seal used. I may be able to break it. But its a matter of what breaking it would do to the subject's magical power. I'm given to believe that it may permanently damage the victim's magical capabilities. Best option would be to destroy the vampire himself. Or, if that isn't possible, weaken his link to his victims before breaking the mark. I'll continue to study it to see if there are any other weaknesses to exploit in the mark."

"By chance," Rasmus said, "Can you draw the mark?"

"I have," Rezo said and shuffled through his papers without looking at them. Taking out a paper, he handed it to Rasmus.

"Hm..." Rasmus turned the paper over, then nodded with a sigh.

"You're wearing that expression," Lina said. "The one that tells me you know something and really aren't happy about it."

"You'd be right," Rasmus said and handed the paper back to Rezo. "Part of that mark is an identification crest, I think. It was on a relic this lab was being used to research until just a few days ago."

"Where is this relic?" Rezo asked.

"Destroyed. Utterly. The younger brother of the man currently threatening the city broke it. I expelled Marron Wytheria for the damage as well as a multitude of other incidents. He has convinced his overly prideful family that I was in the wrong, however." He glanced at Rezo. "Also, they claimed that the jar you came from was one of their family's relics and believed I'd stolen it."

Rezo looked stricken. "Perhaps it can be fixed?"

"It's dust, Rezo. I couldn't time reverse it to put it back together. I had the remnants put into a box and filed. The files for the relic are still in this room actually." Heading over to the filing cabinet near the door, Rasmus opened a drawer and sorted through it quickly before pulling a file. Handing it to Rezo, he said, "May it be of use to you."

"Wait - so you're saying that the Vampire was imprisoned in this relic and that dumb kid broke it and let the Vampire out, then got his big brother to pick a fight with you because he got expelled and then their stupid jar got broke too?" Lina asked.

"I _think_ the vampire was sealed in the relic, but that about sums it up, yes," Rasmus said with a sigh. His stomach was starting to hurt again.

Lina shoved her hands into her hair, "Wasn't there anything you could have done to, you know, take care of the problem without pissing people off?"

"Like what? Give the boy a diploma?" Rasmus sneered, "Marron Wytheria was a trouble maker and I put up with him far longer than I should have. Next time I have a brat like that, he's out first time he steps out of line!" He flipped his hand. "What I'd like to know is how did he get golems that size here so quickly. They had to have been on the move long before this." He narrowed his eyes in thought. "We're wasting time, though. Lina, Gourry, I'll meet you out front. I need to set things up with Paul and Sylphiel."

Lina nodded and grabbed Gourry's arm, hauling him from the room quickly.

Sylphiel followed them.

Rasmus started towards the door, only to stop when he found Rezo's hand on his arm.

Lowering his voice, Rezo said softly, "I would like you to recall Verdandi, and examine your own behavior."

Pulling away, Rasmus turned to Rezo and said, "I'm not going to repeat your mistakes."

"You're on the path to." Rezo forestalled Rasmus by continuing despite the copy opening his mouth to speak. "You keep driving her away and she _will _go elsewhere."

"I've got it covered. Stay out of my business," Rasmus turned away and stalked from the room, only to stop when he found Sylphiel waiting outside the door. Taking a breath and straightening his shoulders, Rasmus nodded to her and began walking towards the stairs. Sylphiel fell in beside him, hands clasped before her, eyes towards the floor. Except when she was looking at him.

Rasmus's gaze caught hers and they both looked away quickly.

On the landing, Rasmus abruptly stopped.

Sylphiel continued forward two steps before realizing he had stopped and turned to look at him. "I thought we were in a hurry."

Taking a breath, he stared at her mouth as he spoke. "I know my... attentions aren't exactly welcome, Lady Sylphiel, but..." he nearly couldn't go on. He took another breath and forced himself, "But I may not survive this." Her lips pulled downwards, pressing together. He risked a glance up at her eyes. Tears were in them.

Reaching into his pocket, he grasped the comb and pulled it out. "I... hope you will accept this as... apology for causing you such distress over these last four years." He bowed slightly and held the comb out to her.

"Its beautiful," she whispered, voice breaking. He risked a glance up, finding tears streaming down her cheeks. Lifting her hands, she slowly took the comb from his trembling fingers. "Rasmus... I- I won't accept your apology." His shoulders sank.

The ground rocked, and Rasmus looked up the stairs. "Someone just cast a Dragon Slave."

Before he could take more than a step Sylphiel had dashed up three stairs and turned to face him. Grasping his face in both hands, she pressed her lips against his. His wits scattered, and when she broke the kiss, he swayed forward, reluctant to allow her the retreat.

"You come back when this is done. So we can finish this conversation," she said firmly, looking into his eyes.

"You could ask me for the moon and I would fetch it."

His heart soared as she smiled at him. Sylphiel turned away, dashing up the stairs, the comb already in her hair.

It took another second for him to recall what he was supposed to be doing, but gathering his robes up, Rasmus dashed for the top of the stairs and out to the front courtyard, joining Sylphiel. Dashing further out, Rasmus looked up to the top of the bell tower, finding Lina just finishing another Dragon Slave.

"What is she doing?"

"Look!" Sylphiel grabbed his arm.

Turning, he saw a giant boulder flying towards the city. Lina's Dragon Slave sailed out to meet the rock and blasted it away from the city with a blinding explosion that nearly knocked him to the ground. He caught Sylphiel before she went tumbling and tucked her protectively beneath his cloak.

"Lina can't keep that up for long," Sylphiel said. "I'm going to go help her."

"Can you buy me a few minutes?" he asked, looking down into her large green eyes.

"Yes, but-"

"No time. Just go."

Above, Lina was casting another Dragon Slave. Sylphiel reluctantly nodded and cast Levitation, flying up to join Lina on the bell tower roof. Rasmus took a breath to calm himself as he walked to the center of the courtyard. Lifting his hands, he touched the emeralds at the clasps to his cloak, accessing the power stored within them.

...

...

Sylphiel landed on the bell tower next to Lina and held on tight as Lina released her Dragon Slave.

Gourry reached out past her to catch Lina as the spell struck the flying boulder and sent it back the way it came with a deafening blast. He tucked both Lina and Sylphiel beneath him, protecting them from the pelting bits of rock that rained down on them.

"Lina," Sylphiel said, "I'll hit the next one. Rasmus said he need some time to do something."

"What?"

"I don't know. He said there wasn't time to explain."

"Next one's coming, Sylphiel," Gourry said and released her.

Taking a breath, she slipped out of Gourry's embrace and began her spell. Briefly, she glanced down at Rasmus, finding that he had moved to the center of the courtyard.

"_Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess__,_" Sylphiel said as she reached the end of her spell. The flying rock was coming too close for her liking, but rushing the spell would mean disaster. She did not want to know what this spell would look like botched the way her Flare Carrots used to be. "Dragon Slave!" she shouted, releasing the spell at the boulder.

The spell caught on the boulder and detonated, sending it flying into the air. It thankfully landed some distance outside of the city, but it had not been as good of a shot as Lina had achieved. "Oh," Sylphiel whispered in agony at the destruction. Looking down at Rasmus, she gasped.

He now stood in the center of a magic circle that took up the entire courtyard. Arcs of magical power were snapping off him in a maelstrom of energy, crackling down the lines of stones that formed the circle.

"Wow! I never noticed that before!" Lina said as she peered down at the pattern in the cobblestones. "That's a really big shield spell he's building there, though. But not big enough for the whole city."

"Hey Lina, what're those lights?" Gourry asked, pointing at four lights that ringed Sairaag.

Looking up and across the city, Lina squinted. "I don't know..."

"Oh!" Sylphiel gasped as realization hit her. "Oh - Rasmus! He- all his projects in the city! He must have put something extra in them! That's the path to Flagoon," she pointed at one light to the south. "That's the hospital." she pointed directly across the city from their current position. "There, the site for the library!"

"Then what's that one?" He pointed north.

"That's where he wanted to build the water treatment facility," Sylphiel wiped her eyes.

"They're throwing another rock," Gourry said. "Who's got it this time?"

"I don't think I can," Lina admitted.

Sylphiel nodded and gathered her courage. She had to buy Rasmus time to finish his spell. "_Darkness from twilight, crimson blood that flows..._"

...

...

The spell was taking too much power.

_'I never expected to have to cast it in quite this condition, but I guess I should have foreseen something. After all, its not like I'd just cast it for the hell of it.'_ Still, despite his reservations of whether he would survive the completion of his shield spell, Rasmus held to it, pouring power through the circle at his feet and into the five focus points he had built surrounding Sairaag.

_'If only I'd been able to complete the fifth one. I'd expected to have it done before now!'_

He trembled from the exertion, feeling a constriction in his right wrist as the mark greedily lapped up over half the power he was pouring into the spell. "Cephied this makes me so _mad!_" he shouted, clenching his fists with a sudden burst of energy, fueled by his anger. Finally, he felt the Water seal light and the five seals connect.

Sweat trickled down his face. He closed his eyes. Above, he could feel Sylphiel's Dragon Slave ignite and detonate. He shifted his weight to take the blast without falling. Pebbles from boulder clattered against the cobble stones around him, a rock the size of a fist struck him in the shoulder. He ignored it.

_'I don't have the power to make it work anymore...'_ Rasmus realized, devastation following close behind. It was already too late to have someone else step in and trigger the spell, but his power was draining fast with half of what he spent going to the mark. _'If only I could blast that damn vampire through this stupid mark.'_

He forced himself to breathe past the constriction in his throat and chest. _'Cephied, I don't know what else to do... I want to protect Sairaag. I want to protect Sylphiel. But I can't.'_

Something broke open within him, like a piece of glass shattering. The bottom fell out of the world. His eyes snapped open in time to see reality flicker and another world reflected in shards of water around him. His own face stared back at him from one of those shards, blue eyed gaze meeting his, violet hair cut short.

_"What's going on?"_ his other self asked.

Unable to help it, Rasmus grinned as he recognized David. _"Trying to cast a shield, but I don't have the power. Half of what I use goes to this damn mark!"_

_"Let's see if we can finish this together then."_

_"Thank you!"_

His faltering hold on the spell strengthened instantly as David threw himself behind it. The seals brightened in response and he felt Sylphiel beginning to cast another Dragon Slave.

_"What's the power source for this - not you I hope?"_ David asked.

_"Flagoon, actually. Though with the Tree in the state it's in, it can't hold the spell for too long either. I'll need to handle the threats quickly."_

_"I wish I could help more, but the Mirror's rebuilding the barrier between us."_

_"What you've done is more than I could to on my own. Thank you."_

Sylphiel's Dragon Slave was completed, then ignited against the boulder, sending it flying.

With a sudden roll of thunder, the shield snapped into place, covering Sairaag in a shimmering dome.

David's presence faded, and Rasmus sagged.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Rasmus!" Sylphiel gasped as she watched him crumple to the ground, landing face first on the cobblestones.

Leaping down from her perch, she levitated over to him and dropped to her knees. Several other people came dashing out to join her as she carefully rolled him over. His nose was bleeding, but he was still breathing, eyes closed. "Rasmus," she cupped his cheek. "Please wake up..."

Twitching, he opened his eyes and smiled at her. "We did it..."

"Dean," someone in the school uniform said, worry in their voice.

Sylphiel looked up, finding a sea of students.

Slowly, Rasmus pushed himself up and dabbed at his nose with a shaking hand. "Used a bit more power than I should have, I think," he said softly to Sylphiel. "Help me up please?"

"You shouldn't..."

"Shouldn't and have to aren't always the same thing."

"That made no sense."

"Sorry."

Reluctantly, she assisted Rasmus to his feet. He wiped the blood from his face as he stood and if it hadn't been for her steadying him, he would have been back on the ground again. Lina landed next to him then grinning, "Nice work!" she said cheerfully. Thankfully, she refrained from slapping him on the back.

He gave her a look, then glanced around the crowd. "Teachers, faculty, students," he said loudly. The murmuring of the crowd silenced. "The city of Sairaag is in danger. We are under attack by two forces who, while not working together, are at least benefitting from the other's presences. Being that I am only one person, I can only do so much, thus I must ask for your help and cooperation. I'm sure you have heard that there is some illness going around that has caused several deaths in the school. I assure you, it is no illness. However, whom it will strike next is not known except that it will go for those who are the magically powerful and make themselves available for attack. This is the first of Sairaag's attackers; an ancient energy vampire. I have appointed Lady Sylphiel and Lord Rezo as leads on the investigation and defense against the vampire. You are all to cooperate and obey them as you would me for the time being.

"Our second attacker is Crown Prince Kayel for Wytheria. I'm sure you've all heard of that country before." There were some discontent noises from the crowd. "His attack is in retaliation of my expelling Marron. As such, I will deal with him personally, along with Lina Inverse. I have activated a shield over Sairaag to protect the city from further damage until the threat is dealt with. Lina and I will endeavor to resolve the issue quickly."

Rasmus looked around the area, then nodded, "Return to your classrooms now in a swift and orderly fashion. When you are needed, you will be called upon. Professors, you are to implement lock down procedures once you have accounted for all your students. Now go."

Immediately, the courtyard began to empty, and Rasmus's grip on Sylphiel's shoulder began to slip.

Lina and Gourry stepped in, catching him before he hit the ground.

"Thanks," he said.

"You should have Rezo look at you," Lina said, "After using that much power... That was about the same amount you used er... well, back then."

"Twice as much," Rasmus said faintly, "If we want to get technical about it. Half of it went to that damn vampire." He managed to straighten and pushed his sleeve back slightly. His wrist looked almost charred. Sylphiel gasped. "David helped, though, and Flagoon is running the shield for now. We need to get the situation with Wytheria settled quickly. I don't want to put too much strain on Flagoon, given the situation." He looked down at Lina. "Best course of action, since the golems aren't easily destroyed would be to take out the one controlling them."

She nodded. "Right. I'll go do that-"

He grabbed her hair as she was about to turn away. "Hold it, Lina. Do _not_ kill him! He's a crown prince and if just expelling one those idiots gets Sairaag attacked, I'd hate to see what killing one of them gets me."

"Fine. I'll take him prisoner. How's that?"

"You're not taking care of my business either, Lina. I need to deal with it."

Lina sighed, rolling her eyes, "Haven't you ever heard of delegation?"

"Yes. But do you delegate the settling of your grudges to someone else? Or do you punch their face in yourself?"

She broke into a grin, "Ohhh! Yes. I see what you mean."

Sylphiel frowned at him. "But-"

Looking down at her, Rasmus smiled slightly, "I'm leaving it to you and Rezo to deal with that part of things, Sylphiel."

She flushed, hands going to her cheeks. "I - I should get to that then!" she said and dashed up the front steps of the university and inside.

"I see you gave it to her, how'd that go?" Lina asked.

Rasmus frowned at her. "I'm not sure. However, we need to take care of that," he pointed up at the giant rock rolling down the shield.

"Can we get out of the shield?" Lina asked.

"Yes. I built a door in at the Path to Flagoon. I figured if I ever needed to use the shield, I'd need a way out to remove the threat." Rasmus turned and began walking.

"Ras," Gourry said as he hoisted one of the mage's arms over his shoulder, "You should probably sit down or something. You can't even walk straight. Have you been drinking?"

"..." Rasmus closed his mouth and sighed.

Lina slapped her hand to her forehead.

...

...

It wasn't more than a few hundred feet out past the front gates that mage students began flying from the university's front steps, heading out to various places in town.

"Wow, where are they going?" Gourry asked.

"Plan Alpha, probably," Rasmus said, looking up and watching the pattern. "They're going out to make sure that the people are safe and get everyone calmed down and inside, out of the way, in case a fight breaks out in town."

"Cuts down on crime during the crisis too," Lina said.

"That was the thought," Rasmus said and tried to limp a little faster. Another boulder hit the shield above and rolled off, landing outside the city.

"You sure you should be going out to do this, Ras?" Lina asked, "You can hardly stand."

"You expect me to just sit by and -"

"I expect you to be mature and intelligent!" Lina interrupted, but didn't release him as she helped him along. She sighed. "I understand. I really do. You don't want anything to happen to Sairaag, or Sylphiel, but if you die... There'd be a real big hole left in a lot of people's lives."

"Rezo's here."

"You're _not_ Rezo! And Rezo isn't you! It wouldn't be the same at all!" Lina shook her head. "I guess you giving him an important task didn't really mean anything after all."

"He was suited to the task and he was available, and had already volunteered," Rasmus said, "I'd be stupid to not take advantage of that. Whether it benefitted me or not. If I hadn't been marked, I'd still have put Rezo to researching the vampire."

"What's it going to take for you to realize that there's _no comparison_ between the two of you?" Lina demanded.

"I..." He lowered his gaze.

"I'm absolutely serious. You've got nothing to prove when it comes to Rezo. You're two different people now. Everyone knows it. Sure, Rezo's going to be respected as the Red Priest, but you're Dean Rasmus! These people know you, and have seen everything you've done for them. They don't treat you with respect because you're Rezo's copy. They treat you with respect because of your own actions!"

"What about this current mess?"

"How were you to know that the brat would call in his asshole brother?" Lina snorted. "Besides, I think you're right about those golems having to have taken time to be called in. I wonder whose property they walked across. I'm surprised no one's attacked them yet!"

Rasmus kept his mouth shut as he thought on that for a time.

"Hey, Lina. You think Amelia and Zelgadis might show up?" Gourry asked.

"Maybe," Rasmus said, "Especially if Kayel took those things over land." He tried to walk a little faster as they reached the arch that began the Path to Flagoon. It was glowing slightly, with runic symbols shimmering on the stones.

"Ras," Lina said and slipped out from beneath his arm, leaving him to stagger against Gourry. "You can't fight like this."

Closing his eyes, Rasmus sank down to the bench beside the arch as Gourry led him there. "Maybe I can distract them."

"You'll get clobbered," Gourry said, looking Rasmus over.

Bracing his hands on his knees, Rasmus sat for a moment, eyes closed.

"Look, Ras," Lina said, "You put up that barrier. Lots of people saw you do it. If you sit out now, no one's going to blame you or say that you didn't do what you could to protect people."

"But you can't take those things on by yourself," Rasmus said.

"I'll figure out a way." She put her fists on her hips. "This guy's really pissed me off, you see! And no one pisses off Lina Inverse and gets away with it!"

Rasmus snorted, opening his eyes and looking up at her.

"So sit this one out, Ras. Sylphiel would seriously be upset at me if I let you fight and something happened to you."

He sat back a little. "Why?"

"Because she loves you," Gourry blurted.

"Gourry! You yogurt-brain!"

"What?" he winced back as Lina slapped him with her slipper.

"That was for Syl to tell him herself!" Lina huffed.

Rasmus stared between the pair, clutching the edge of the bench. "But - she... she's always yelling at me."

Lina shook her head. "You and her need to sit down and have a talk," she rolled her eyes. "I've done more than I should have, telling you to give her a gift like that. And don't tell her I told you to!"

Unable to help it, he smiled. "I didn't think she'd accept something so... personal."

"A girl likes to feel special. Grand projects for the city are awesome, but something just for her..." Lina smiled. "You stay here, I'll go see if I can get rid of Catapult guy at least!"

"Wait. I have to unlock the door first," Rasmus said. Shoving himself to his feet, he swayed and moved to stand in front of the arch. Closing his eyes, he called on his powers, igniting a circle on the flagstone beneath his feet. A crackle of magic went up the arch, turning the runes there from blue to red. "Go quickly," he said.

Lina reached out. Gourry's hair was the first thing she caught and hauled him through the portal.

On the other side, Lina looked back to see the runes turn blue again and Rasmus crumpled to his knees.

"We'll finish this quickly," Lina said to him and grabbed Gourry beneath his arms, taking off.

Rasmus watched them go and sighed. "Why'd I have to go and get marked before all this started?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. Slowly, he staggered back over to the bench and dropped down to a seat.

"You surprise me, copy."

Lifting his eyes, Rasmus looked at the tall, elegant man that stood before him. "Not only are you more powerful than I had anticipated, but resourceful. None of my victims have ever lasted as long as you have, especially not after using as much power." The man looked up at the shield above them. "Amazing work... It's almost a shame to kill you."

Rasmus remained where he was, watching what he assumed was the vampire as the handsome man smiled coldly.

"I had expected to only get a few minor mages here, but instead I found a buffet! With some wonderful prizes like that lovely tree and yourself." The man threw back his head and laughed.

Rasmus looked up at the man that stood before him; long dark hair, tied back in a tail, white coat and black robes trimmed with red. He quirked a brow and closed his eyes briefly to look at the vampire's aura. "So, this is what you really look like? Or what you choose to look like now?"

"My true form, of course," the vampire said with a haughty grin. He casually strode closer, looking down at Rasmus. "You should have died by now. Given how much power you've been using, and how unstable your form was to begin with. Honestly... With an entire research facility at your beck and call, you've spent no time at all enhancing or repairing yourself? Pitiful..."

"My reasons are my own," Rasmus muttered and pushed to his feet.

"Regardless, you're power will be mine, and with it, everything you know."

"Everything?"

"Yes. The mark I put on everyone else was a simple one... Yours, however, I made special." He grinned. "And because of you, I know how to tear down that shield you erected. As beautifully master crafted as it is. I'm afraid it's in my way."

Rasmus looked down at the slightly shorter man. "Are you working with Wytheria?" he asked.

"No. Their plots are a happy coincidence." Black energy gathered in his palm, and Rasmus threw a shield into place as the vampire released the black globe. His shield weakened and cracked, disintegrating shortly after its use, but it was enough to stop the blow. "Oh, thank you for that lovely shield spell!" the Vampire chuckled.

_'Shitshitshit,'_ Rasmus thought frantically as he kept his impassive mask in place. _'I haven't got the power to fight this guy. I can't even stay upright for too much longer...'_ He highly doubted he was going to be able to call on David again either, the city shield had drained them both down to about nothing and David was probably, sensibly, sitting down and staying out of trouble while Syl took care of him. _'Fuck. he's probably at work, for that matter...'_

There was little Rasmus could do about it at this point, though, so he threw himself to the ground as the vampire fired another blast of darkness at him. Struggling to his hands and knees, he looked up at the vampire.

"So, you're just going to stop fighting and die?" The vampire sneered.

"I suppose if it keeps what I know out of your hands."

"I'll just go mark Rezo when I'm done with you. I'll have what you know either way."

"You can go to hell." Rasmus said, watching the vampire's aura. He could see a sizable amount of Flagoon's power flowing into him from the direction of the tree. Then there were lighter, thinner streams of auras he recognized as some of his students. Then, there was the dried-blood-red shot with healer green aura he recognized as his own. _'If only I could tell Rezo how to recognize the vampire...'_ he thought bitterly, then shoved to his feet and dived into a roll as the vampire shot off several blasts of darkness at him. _'There's no way I can tire him out. So the only thing I can do is possibly use a Raagna Blade on him. But if I miss, or don't kill him, he's got that spell... and I don't have the power to cast it either. I need to get him outside the shield at least. It's keyed to me, so he can't get back in unless I let him. ...or he uses my power to do it.'_

"Such a delightful taste your energy has, Dean Graywords," The vampire chuckled. "It tastes like that of a murderer. You're one very complicated man... I was given to understand that you're no more than four years old, and your time has been accounted for... so who did you kill?" he chuckled.

Rasmus ignored him in favor of staggering to his feet and dashing away from another set of black bombs.

...

...

Rezo opened his eyes and stood back, lowering his hands.

Sylphiel looked up at him. "You couldn't help him?" she asked, voice soft.

The Red priest looked towards her, "No," he said regretfully, noting the crestfallen faces of the other students standing guard in the room. His gaze returned to the boy he was standing beside. "His power, and life, are being drained from him and that is the root of the problem. I can't boost his power with mine, since that would merely entangle mine with his, marking me by proxy."

She looked ill as she stared at the floor.

"As I said before, the best chance to stop this is to find the vampire and destroy him," Rezo said and gently touched Sylphiel's shoulder. "What you've been doing with them is keeping them stable. Keep it up. I'm going to assist Lina and Rasmus."

Lifting her eyes, Sylphiel nodded. "Please do. Rasmus didn't look very well when they left."

Rezo chuckled. "He is incredibly stubborn... You have far more patience than he deserves."

She flushed and looked away again. "He has his good points..." she said softly, her hand creeping up to touch the comb still holding her hair back from her face.

Turning away, Rezo made his way out of the hospital. Heading down the road, he focused his attention on the aether currents and frowned slightly as he discovered Rasmus's dried-blood-smeared-green aura still within the city shield.

"What's wrong with you?"

Stopping, Rezo turned to look at the person who had spoken, finding a mousey short boy with brown hair and eyes scowling at him, arms folded on his chest. "You're not doing what you promised you would."

Rezo stared at the boy, then closed his eyes, assessing the boy's aura. The boy had potential to be a very low-level mage, but there was nothing worth training beyond that. "Who are you?" Rezo asked finally as he could not recall the boy, though for some reason, the voice was familiar.

The boy's aura flared in fury, revealing a deep well of suppressed magical power. It quickly subsided back to it's original low simmer. "Marron Wytheria!" he snapped, "You stupid old dust bag!"

For a long moment, Rezo thought. The name sounded familiar, but then Rasmus had been having trouble with Wytheria lately too...

"I told them it was a waste of time," Marron said, "Dragging your soul from the Sea of Chaos. You don't remember a damn thing, do you?"

"Perhaps if you reminded me what exactly I'm supposed to remember?" Rezo said finally and remembered to open his eyes again, because he could. He watched the boy's gesticulations as he vented his fury in a stomp and flail of his arms.

"I wasted three fucking years here waiting for you to tell me how to get into your secret labs and now you don't remember what you promised?" Marron demanded. "My family will not accept this failure! Not from me, and especially not from you! Kayel's already moving to take over the city because you're supposed to lead me to your lab and seize the Zanafaar tablet!"

Rezo blinked, then burst out laughing.

"How dare you laugh at me!"

"I'm laughing at the irony!" Rezo chuckled, then sighed, shaking his head, "The Zanafaar tablet has been destroyed, as has my lab, if you hadn't noticed." Rezo gestured towards the south east where old Sairaag used to stand.

"How can you be so sure?" Marron demanded, "You don't know what survived the blast and what didn't!"

"Do you know what _caused_ the destruction of Sairaag?"

"Some weird pagan god-monster, destroyed it."

"No. My assistant and one of her creations used the Zanafaar tablet and destroyed the city. They are dead, as is the resurrected Zanafaar, and the tablet was destroyed."

Marron's jaw dropped.

"So whatever I may or may not have promised you that I don't recall promising, means nothing."

"You'll make a new one!"

"Or what?"

Marron's face turned red with rage.

Rezo smiled serenely. "Prince Kayel is already in the process of destroying Sairaag. You're not likely to be able to tell him to stop."

"I'll kill you." Marron reached beneath his tunic, drawing a stiletto knife and ran at Rezo.

Casting a shield, Rezo deflected the blade and moved way. Closing his eyes, he watched Marron's aura as the boy's sleeping power flared again. It was an amazing trick. The boy was not only powerful, but could easily pass off as mundane, flying beneath the radar of anyone who might think of him as a threat. Rezo was forced to dodge again as the boy tried for another frontal assault.

Deciding that Marron could be dealt with later, Rezo cast a teleport and leapt back into the mist that formed, and stepped out near the head of the Path to Flagoon. He turned, his eyes still closed, and stopped as he found Rasmus, power rapidly dimming as he faced against a brightly glowing figure that was siphoning off power from multiple sources.

Determining that he had not been noticed, Rezo lifted his hands, forming power between them. "Dark mist," he whispered and flooded the area with faintly red vision-obscuring fog.

...

...

Rasmus threw himself into a roll and dodged away as fog unexpectedly filled the area, hiding the vampire from sight. Closing his eyes, he located the vampire again easily. Some distance away, Rezo stood quietly amidst the obscuring clouds. The vampire was flailing around blindly. "How did you do this?" the creature demanded. "I didn't feel you cast this! What is this?"

Pushing to his feet, Rasmus quietly made his way over to Rezo and whispered, "You're supposed to be elsewhere."

"You were supposed to be with Lina," Rezo said calmly, "Regardless, here we are. Why haven't you destroyed him?"

"Any spell I cast, he learns."

"Ah."

"I'll distract him physically," Rasmus said and moved away. Chimes rang as he pulled his staff from the astral pocket in his sleeve and swung it as hard as he could, striking the vampire in the side.

The monster cried out in pain and staggered away, clutching his shoulder.

Rasmus moved, easily dodging the explosive darkness bombs the vampire threw and attacked from the other side, outright knocking the vampire down this time. He was away again before the vampire could react and came running in from a different angle to slam his staff into the monster's back.

"You can't kill me like this!" the vampire denied, and this time, cast a shield - the same shield spell Rasmus had cast the first time.

Rasmus didn't bother answer, just moved in from another direction, slamming his staff against the shield.

The vampire threw back his head and cackled. "You can't do anything to me now!"

"Neither can you," Rasmus said, then moved as the vampire dropped his shield and threw black bombs where he had last heard Rasmus.

Slamming his staff into the vampire's knee, Rasmus grinned as he heard a sick crack and the vampire dropped to the ground, crying out in pain. The shield went back up, and Rasmus retreated to take a moment and breathe. He could see Rezo's power rising as the Red Priest cast a spell that called upon the chaotic darkness and gold of the Sea of Chaos. The dark mist dissipated as Rezo's attention turned away from it.

The vampire turned, eyes widening as he realized what trap he had completely fallen for and strengthened his shield.

For a moment, Rasmus's breath caught in his throat and he dearly hoped Rezo wasn't casting the Giga Slave, but as he watched, the form of the spell solidified into a long knife, and Rezo ran forward, slashing downwards across the vampire with a shout.

Searing pain tore through Rasmus, and he dropped his staff, clutching his wrist as the vampire attempted to reject the Raagna Blade. The vampire's shield shimmered, then cracked as he threw his arms over his head. Above, the city shield flickered, as if about to wink out. Rezo's Raagna Blade sliced down, unimpeded. The vampire's form wavered, then burst into ash that flew away on the breeze.

As suddenly as the pain had come, it receded and dizzy, Rasmus collapsed to his knees, only to find Rezo's hands on his shoulders, keeping him upright.

"Give me that," Rezo said, roughly pulling Rasmus's hand from his marked wrist. Power flared in Rezo's hand, forming into a dagger of gold and green light, which he inserted and twisted.

Like a shackle coming off, the mark broke, exploding into black flakes of ash and Rasmus sagged in relief.

"Hurry," Rezo said, shaking him. "We have to get back to the hospital."

Grabbing his staff, Rasmus used it to stand, then staggered as Rezo pulled him through a teleport and into the hospital. Someone caught him as he staggered. Finally remembering to open his eyes, Rasmus glanced around, finding that he had practically been dropped on top of Sylphiel. She was casting a healing spell on him.

"I'm fine," he said, straightening.

"You're bleeding," Sylphiel insisted.

He blinked at her, then looked towards Rezo, finding that they were in a room in the hospital. Nine C&CRU students lay on beds with five others apparently assigned as assistance to Sylphiel. Rezo was working through those marked, casting his dagger-spell.

"Are the golems gone?" Sylphiel asked.

"Not that I know," Rasmus said, "But the catapult has ceased fire at least. Lina went back out there alone."

"The vampire is momentarily defeated," Rezo said and drew a breath, gathering his power between his hands. A sudden explosion of light filled the room and Rasmus felt an in-rush of power filling the void within him. It was Rezo's power, he knew, but it quickly blended with what remained of his own, revitalizing him. He opened his eyes again to find the wounded students beginning to stir, waking from their sleep. Rezo reached out, taking Sylphile's arm in one hand and Rasmus's in the other, guiding them out of the room. "Flagoon is the only one marked now."

Rasmus instinctively turned to look in the direction of the tree. "Unfortunately, that's probably more than enough for the vampire. We still have time, even if the shield is draining Flagoon." His eyes flicked towards Sylphiel.

She nodded. "Flagoon says it's all right for now," she agreed.

"Please take care of the students, Lady Sylphiel," Rezo requested, "They're likely to be disoriented. I have need to speak with Rasmus for a moment."

Unable to help his disgusted expression, Rasmus wiped it away quickly. He suspected Rezo caught it anyway. Sylphiel did for sure. She frowned at him. "You're such a coward sometimes," she said, exasperated, and turned, heading back into the room full of chattering students.

Rezo took Rasmus's arm again, pulling him down the hall towards Sylphiel's office.

...

...

AN: I got so caught up writing my Nanowrimo that I forgot to write more chapters on this. Ch9 is half finished as of this moment. I'll get it done before next Saturday.


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